The Hijacking of the Millennium Falcon
by momentofbored
Summary: Han thought he was going to go on a quiet mission alone to Ord Mantell, but things are never that simple when Leia's involved... A Han/Leia centric fic set immediately before The Empire Strikes Back :)
1. Chapter 1

_I've been in a Han/Leia state of mind for a few months now (or really since TFA came out, making me feel like I needed a support group to process what happened to Han). The idea for this story kind of stuck in my head when I was writing a chapter in my last fic about the mission to Ord Mantell and the bounty hunter there... I had way more ideas about Ord Mantell than I realized. I know some takes on Ord Mantell are already out there (though not as many as might be expected, in my opinion) but I think the ideas I have bring a kind of new perspective to it... I guess we'll see :) (To clarify this story is in no way related to my last one, things on Ord Mantell are going to go much differently here)._

 _I know this first chapter is perhaps a little heavy on the exposition but I had to split the original first chapter into two because, as written, it was so ridiculously long that I didn't feel right making people read it all at once. I'm still editing part two (which is now chapter two) but will post it ASAP :)_

 _Thank you so much for reading and for support on this and my other stories! It really does mean the word to me!_

* * *

Chapter 1

Minutes from High Command Committee Meeting, Redacted, _3 ABY, Day 102_

Committee Members Present: Admiral Gial Ackbar, General Jan Dodonna, General Crix Madine, Princes Leia Organa, General Carlist Rieekan.

Reason for Meeting: Covert Mission 2-, to commence today at 20:00 hours with the take off of Captain S- from Hangar Bay -.

 _19:00 h_ : Meeting called to order.

 _19:01 h_ : Committee members summarize plans related to the mission and begin to debate for the third time the risks inherent in allowing Captain S- to undertake this mission alone.

 _19:13 h_ : Committee members appear to reach a standstill on this topic, with Leia Organa noting for the record her continued opposition to Captain S- going alone.

 _19:14 h_ : Formal vote held.

 _19:15 h_ : It is affirmed that Captain S- is cleared to go on the mission alone.

 _19:16 h_ : The committee members begin to discuss, for the sixth time, the possibility of making Captain S- a General, and the feasibility of doing so against his own express wishes.

 _19:19 h_ : General Rieekan notes for the record that Captain S- has not in fact made his express wishes known on the specific topic of being given the commission of General.

 _19:20 h_ : Leia Organa notes for the record that, despite saying he would be at this meeting which ostensibly was held solely to determine whether he would be given clearance to proceed on Covert Mission 2- alone, Captain S- is still not here.

 _19:22 h_ : Committee members vote to revisit the issue of whether Captain S- will be authorized to undertake mission 2- alone given his absence at this meeting, over Princess Leia's stated objection that her intention in mentioning this was not to debate the topic again.

 _19:26 h_ : Amid continued debate, Wedge Antilles enters the room.

 _19:27 h_ : Wedge Antilles is ordered to leave the room.

 _19:28 h_ : Wedge Antilles informs the committee that Captain S- asked him to inform the committee that he's 'decided not to come to the meeting', but that he's 'set to take off as planned' and the committee should 'give a shout if that's a problem.'

 _19:29 h_ : Wedge Antilles leaves the room.

 _19:30 h_ : Without actually calling for a revote on the issue of mission 2-, the Committee begins to discuss who else might be suited to the role of General, given critical shortage of Generals currently on base.

 _19:44 h_ : Princess Leia leaves the meeting.

 _19:46 h_ : Given Princess Leia's parting words, the Committee begins frantic attempts to reach Captain S- using com links.

 _19:52 h_ : The committee abandons use of com links and begins attempts to reach Captain S- through his ship's main communication system.

 _19:58 h_ : The committee abandons attempts to reach Captain S- via the main communications system and instead attempts to reach Captain S-'s copilot, C-.

 _19:59 h_ : Attempts to hail C- are successful. However, due to the absence of any translation or protocol droids, coupled with the departure of Leia Organa, who is currently studying the language of the copilot, the committee is unable to understand the copilot. The committee requests that copilot C- inform Captain S- that they are attempting to hail him via the ship's main communications system. The committee is unsure as to whether copilot C- has agreed.

 _20:01 h_ : The committee succeeds in hailing Captain S-.

* * *

 _Aboard the Millennium Falcon,_ _3 ABY, Day 102, 19:48 hours_

Han finished his standard check of the hyperdrive and engines with a satisfied smile, confident that, for once, everything on his ship was in top shape, and just at the right time. When he'd been told he was going on a solo mission to Ord Mantell he hadn't believed his luck. The Alliance was big on teams and pairs, but evidently this mission was delicate enough that the fewer people who were involved the better- or maybe, his cynical side admitted, dangerous enough that they didn't care to risk more lives than his. Their reasons didn't matter much to him, though, especially when they were offering him 10% of the cargo he'd be returning with as payment. While he couldn't deny that he'd come to like living on base with the other Alliance members more than he would have thought possible, he also couldn't deny that it would be nice to get away from it from a few days- especially from a certain princess.

He frowned as he thought of her. If he had actively tried, he didn't think he could have imagined someone more annoying than Leia Organa. Just dealing with her would have been bad enough, but recently he had to put up with Chewie's constant and unwelcome insights about the situation, most of which centered on the absurd theory that Han was in love with her, an idea that he felt was ridiculous on too many levels to count. To begin with, he doubted he was capable of being in love with anyone, but even if he was, Leia was the last person in the galaxy he could ever imagine falling in love with, no matter how spirited she might be.

He paused on his way to the cockpit, his thoughts lingering on her spirit for just a minute, his annoyance abating as he remembered the way she'd smirked at him that morning, leaning toward him over breakfast and lowering her voice to tell him a joke, the punchline not making him nearly as happy as her laugh as she told it. She'd blushed ever-so-slightly then, and the flush had made her look even more stunning than usual-

Of course, that was before they had their most recent fight, the one that had made him decide it wasn't worth coming to her little committee meeting even if it might mean his clearance to go on this mission was suddenly revoked. After all, he could leave at any time if he really wanted to- he didn't need the committee's permission for that-

He was jarred from his thoughts by the sound of his personal com link ringing, and he started toward where he'd left it when he'd started his final checks of the Falcon's systems. Before he reached it, though, he was distracted by a loud banging in the vicinity of the Falcon's entrance. "Chewie! Everything alright?" he shouted, expecting to see the Wookie emerge from that general area, but to his surprise Chewbacca roared a reply from behind him.

"Odd," he mused, heading toward the cockpit in the hopes of getting a visual on whatever was making the noise. The noise stopped abruptly as he entered the cockpit, though, replaced with the persistent buzz of Command attempting to hail him through the Falcon's main communication system. He ignored them as he craned his neck, trying to determine what outside was causing the disturbance. After a moment he could see Leia, evidently having abandoned banging on the door in favor of trying to catch his attention by jumping up and down in full view of the cockpit, waving her arms wildly.

He thought about leaving her out there, unable to quash his annoyance at how they'd parted earlier, but just as he thought it he saw her shiver as snow blew through the open hangar door, and on instinct, against any rational thoughts he might have had on the subject, he opened the door to the ship.

Leia was in the cockpit before he could even brace himself for her presence, and he cringed as she took a deep breath, anticipating that she was either there to continue their argument from earlier about his continued failure to formally enlist, an argument which had ended less conclusively than he would have liked, or else to personally tell him the committee's verdict about whether he was 'allowed' to go to Ord Mantell alone. He braced himself, preparing for a tirade, or at a minimum for some snippy remark, but to his astonishment she looked at him a little wildly before blurting desperately,

"Take me with you."

* * *

 _Thanks for taking time to read, I truly appreciate it! Reviews and follows are as always deeply appreciated :)_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Committee Summary of known facts regarding the Kidnapping of Leia Organa by Captain Han Solo or, in the alternative,the Hijacking of the Millennium Falcon and Two Crew Members by Leia Organa _3 ABY, Day 102_

It is nearly certain that Leia Organa had entered the Millennium Falcon by the time that Command successfully hailed Captain Han Solo at 20:01 hours. However, Organa was first heard on the communications channel that had opened between Command and the Falcon at approximately 20:03.

By 20:07 Organa and/or Solo had cut off communications with Command, seemingly of their own volition.

At 20:11 Solo reopened communications with Command. At that juncture, words were exchanged...

* * *

Han's brow furrowed and he felt one side of his mouth quirk down. "Take you with me? Is that an order, Highnessness? Because if the committee decided I'm not allowed to go on this mission unless I go with you, they better be ready to find another pilot real quick-"

She scoffed, looking genuinely disgusted at the idea. "As if I would have agreed to go on another mission with you after that disaster on Champala."

Han felt his jaw drop at the manifest injustice of the words. "You mean that disaster where you got stuck in an air vent and I had to go back into a maximum security Imperial facility and _literally_ pull you out of it? _That_ disaster?"

"For the last time, I had the situation completely under control," she hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. "I was in the process of shedding layers of clothing which would have enabled me to-"

He looked at her incredulously. "What layers of clothing? That wasn't Hoth, sweetheart. You were only wearing a lab coat and some-"

"Yes!" she interrupted almost triumphantly. "I nearly had the lab coat off when you started shooting at me-"

"Shooting _at_ you _?"_ he snapped angrily, ignoring the Falcon's main communications system as it beeped again. "Shooting you out of there, you mean. You're just too proud to admit you'd be dead if it wasn't for me-"

"Even if that's true, whose fault was it that I was in that force-forsaken air vent to begin with? Not mine!"

He opened his mouth, then closed it, not having a ready retort for that one, but after a moment he remembered what she had said to begin with about taking her with him, and pointed a finger at her. "So what are you doing here then, huh?"

It was her turn to close her mouth, and he felt something almost like guilt as she looked first embarrassed and then almost ashamed. Her look quickly turned to one of anger, but somehow he knew it wasn't him she was angry at this time as she repeated her opening words, this time sounding almost defeated,

"Take me with you. I need to get out of here."

He hesitated, torn between saying something else cutting and trying to take a friendlier approach. Not for the first time he wondered whether she and he actually were friends- he knew that in some sense they were, that for all their harsh words she was one of only 3 beings in the galaxy who he could probably trust with his life and who he actually had, but there was always an underlying tension to their interactions, and a certain pull toward her that made him uneasy. If he were honest with himself, though, even when he was the most annoyed with her he wanted what was best for her, and so he let out a breath he hadn't fully realized he'd been holding and tried for a diplomatic approach- or at least, diplomatic for him.

"That's all well and good, Princess, but this isn't exactly a pleasure trip. I can't just take you with me, and you'd hate it anyway. You'd be stuck with just me and Chewie for almost 2 standard weeks before we got back to base, there wouldn't be anything for you to do on the flight, and then once we got there we'd have a big fight because you'd want to be involved in the mission and I wouldn't want you to be involved, and before you know it you'd be following me and I'd be saving your life again, and then we'd have another big fight-"

To his shock she laughed, a real laugh, low and deep, unlike the perfunctory giggles he so often heard her force at meals and in front of the troops. "Probably," she said candidly before taking a step forward and looking him in the eye. "Take me with you anyway."

A small part of him wavered even as he shook his head, completely forgetting that just a few minutes ago he'd been convinced one of the main advantages of going to Ord Mantell was getting away from her. "No can do, but I'll tell you what- when I get back, if you still want to get out of here I'll make that happen for you. I'll take you off planet for a while, wherever you want. I'll even stay out of your way while I'm doing it-"

At that she smiled, shrugging in a way he found strangely disarming. "I'm not so sure about that, flyboy- I know I'm going to regret admitting this, but it's not really always _so_ bad having you in the way-"

Han took a step toward her without fully thinking about it, trying to ignore the fact that they were now close enough to touch, if they wanted to touch-

The Falcon's communications system beeped _again_ and Han groaned in frustration, thinking about shutting it off, but at that moment he heard Chewie roar something about high Command from the hallway and he gritted his jaw, realizing that if he ever hoped to actually leave on the mission to Ord Mantell, he was going to have to take it.

"Hold that thought," he said to Leia before sinking into the pilot's seat and opening the line of communication. "Solo," he barked, much more aware than he should have been of Leia slowly coming up to sit in the co-pilot's seat beside him, looking oddly nervous.

"Solo," he heard the clearly recognizable and unexpectedly relieved-sounding voice of Admiral Ackbar. "Are you still on base?"

"Where else would I be?" Han asked. "As far as I know I haven't been cleared to leave."

"Somehow we weren't sure a little thing like that would stop you," Ackbar retorted dryly.

As usual Han found himself quickly losing patience with the man. "Can I take that to mean I am clear?"

"Affirmative. In fact, we'd prefer that you take off as soon as possible."

"Copy that. I just need about five minutes to finish up with something here and then I'm good to go. Solo out-"

"No! I mean," Ackbar continued an edge in his voice that Han didn't understand, "High Command has reason to believe that Command Member Organa may approach the Falcon. Should she approach, you are to deny her permission to board."

Han glanced at Leia, confused when she _didn't_ seem confused by the odd proclamation. "Is that an order?" he asked with a grin he was glad Ackbar couldn't see, knowing that Ackbar had about as much patience for him as he did for Ackbar.

There was a hesitation, and Han could hear whispers as Ackbar didn't bother to cut the link as he consulted with the rest of the committee, but he was unable to make out what was being said before a new voice came on the line.

"It's a request," he heard Carlist Rieekan say firmly, and Han's smile faded at the voice and the words. Despite himself he liked and respected the man and so he replied candidly and without rancor.

"Unfortunately it's a little late for that, sir. The Princess is already aboard."

Han could hear more whispering but to his credit Rieekan didn't seem to feel a need to partake in it.

"I see," Han heard the older man say, not missing a beat, before he continued carefully, "Captain, we have reason to think the Princess may be upset and perhaps-" he hesitated. "Perhaps, ah, not her normal self."

Leia snorted at that and Han briefly wondered what was going on before his thoughts were interrupted by Rieekan continuing mildly, "We'd be very grateful if you would return the Princess to base before your departure."

"Stay out of it, Rieekan," Leia snapped from beside Han before he had a chance to answer, and he looked at her in astonishment. He'd never seen or heard her be anything but warm and affectionate to her fellow Alderaanian- in fact, sometimes he felt sure Leia viewed him as a second father-

"Leia, it's wonderful to hear your voice," Rieekan said, seeming unfazed. "We'd appreciate it if you would come back to the meeting so we can discuss everything further-"

"I'm done discussing things," Leia snapped, and Han suddenly realized that 'not her normal self' might be an understatement- he didn't think he'd ever met anyone with more endless patience for pointless bureaucratic discussions than the princess-

"Solo," Ackbar came back on the line, "You are not to leave base with the princess. That _is_ an order-"

Han couldn't be sure but he thought he heard Rieekan sigh.

"Hey, guys," he heard Luke cut into the line unexpectedly. "Wedge says you want me to go to the Hangar bay and get Leia?"

Han exchanged an incredulous look with Leia, thinking about telling Luke and Command that he was broadcasting to them too, more for Luke's sake than anything else, but he was cut short as Luke continued. "I'll go if you want but it's too late- he's going to take her off base before I can get there."

"Has Solo told you this? Rieekan inquired at the same time that Leia snapped,

"I am _going_ , no one is _taking_ me,"evidently forgetting that her exact words less than ten minutes ago had been 'take me with you', at the same time that Han cried,

"Hold on a minute now, I already told the princess that I _am_ _not_ taking her!"

"I feel it," Luke insisted, evidently not caring that everyone could hear him, and Han scoffed.

"Better check your crystal ball again kid."

"Alright," Luke said, sounding doubtful. "I'm heading to the hangar. Skywalker out."

"Leia," Rieekan began again, but to Han's amazement Leia reached over and cut the link before placing a hand on Han's arm and looking up into his eyes.

"Please Han," she said softly, tightening her grip on his arm ever so slightly as she repeated, " _Please_."

Later he was never sure if it had been the tone of her voice, or the fact that she'd said please, or the fact that she was actually using his given name for the first time that he could remember. Or maybe it was the way her eyes were boring into his, almost as if she could see through him and he could see through her, or the way her hand squeezed his arm, pleasantly increasing the pressure there just for a second before her thumb traced a lazy, unconscious circle. Or maybe it was something else entirely, something that he couldn't identify or that he wasn't ready to yet. All he knew was that, even as he shook his head no, he was saying gruffly,

"If I take you with me to Ord Mantell, I'm in charge."

She nodded eagerly, earnestly, her eyes not leaving his. "Say it," he instructed, feeling keenly the need to hear her verbal confirmation given her perpetually creative interpretations of their interactions- creative interpretations that, if he were honest, only rivaled his own.

"You're in charge," she said seriously and he stared at her suspiciously for a moment before clarifying,

"That means once we're there you're going to listen to me and do what I say to do when I say to do it."

She nodded again. "I'll listen to you and do what you say to do when you say to do it, unless I think you're needlessly placing our lives in danger or that what you're asking me to do is morally corrupt."

He hesitated. "You have to do what I say even if you think I'm placing my life in danger."

It was her turn to pause but after an endless moment she nodded. "Even if I think you're placing your life in danger, unless I can immediately think of a better plan that would achieve the same goals without putting your life in danger."

He frowned, wanting to object but not sure if there was actually something to object to or if he was just used to objecting to her on principle. He briefly wondered how this had become a negotiation when in theory he should have all the power in the situation, but by now he knew nothing with Leia every went quite according to plan. "I'm going to regret this," he muttered, more to himself than to her, before reaching over her to turn the link back on.

Leia's hand fell from his arm when he did so and he felt sharply and unexpectedly disappointed by the loss of contact. He didn't let his mind linger on that, though, as he quickly realized he'd tuned into what appeared to be a full scale committee argument that did nothing to make him wish that he had attended the meeting earlier.

"Solo here," he interrupted loudly, somewhat gratified when everyone went silent and unsurprised when it was Rieekan who spoke, addressing him with the same respect he always had, since long before Han had felt he deserved it.

"Captain. What is your status?"

Han squared his shoulders. "The Millennium Falcon is requesting clearance to take off for mission 248 to Ord Mantell."

"Is the Princess aboard?" another voice that Han couldn't place inquired.

"Yes, Jan, I'm here," Leia said,sounding bored, and Han started at her casual use of General Dodonna's first name. Of course, he'd known she must know it- after all, even Han knew it- and if he'd stopped to think about it he would have know she might even use it in private, but Leia hardly ever referred to anyone but Luke by their first name, and certainly not at formal meetings- though of course whether this could still be considered a meeting was a topic the committee could probably debate for weeks if they set their mind to it-

"Command Member Organa, you do not have permission to leave with Captain Solo on this mission. As your direct superior I am ordering you to disembark," Dodonna said firmly.

"I wasn't aware I had a direct superior," Leia said coldly.

When the man spoke again he sounded surprised and slightly agitated. "Leia, you know perfectly well that you report to my-"

"I know perfectly well that I'm a figurehead and a volunteer," Leia retorted, placing heavy emphasis on the second word. "To the best of my knowledge I don't actually report directly to anyone, and I'm absolutely certain that no one reports directly to me. Therefore, as a volunteer who isn't directly responsible for any individuals on base, I'm exercising my right to leave, of my own free will. I hope a place will still be here for me if I choose to come back, but if not, that's something I'm prepared to accept. Don't worry, you can still keep broadcasting soundbites from me over the holonet if it makes you feel better. Just send what you want me to say over to the Millennium Falcon and I'll be happy to transmit a recording."

"Leia, what are you _talking_ about?" Dodonna asked, sounding appalled as Han wondered what in the galaxy could have happened to leave Leia talking like this. "You're a member of _High Command. Everyone_ reports to you. You're responsible for _everyone._ "

"I'm a member of High Command because you didn't know what else to do with me and you wanted someone willing to come through in a pinch to deliver rousing speeches," Leia said with more bitterness than Han ever would have believed she'd possessed. For the first time in a long while he wondered if he might have been too harsh on her earlier that day, but he was unable to linger on the thought as the main communications system exploded with noise.

"Leia, that isn't true," Rieekan said, also sounding appalled, even as Ackbar interrupted,

"Solo, Organa, if you leave here neither of you will be compensated for this mission-"

"Oh please, why don't you hit me where it really hurts," Leia scoffed. "I'll survive somehow without my pathetic stipend, and I can probably scrape together enough from what I have saved to match whatever equally pathetic sum you'd offered to Han-"

"Solo," Ackbar tried, and Han marvelled at how desperate the man must be to believe he could get farther trying to talk to him than to Leia. "If you leave the base with the Princess we'll be forced to record this incident as a kidnapping and charge you with-"

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Leia muttered before reaching over to grab Han's own blaster from his belt, doing it so quickly that Han didn't even follow her movement before she was pointing the blaster at his head, looking pointedly out the cockpit window as she did so. "Are you getting this on your recording devices? If not, let me state for the record that I, Princess Leia Organa, member of High Command, am officially hijacking the Millennium Falcon by forcing Captain Han Solo to take me off planet at blaster-point. Captain Solo is very familiar with my character and knows me well enough to know that when I say I'll shoot, I'll shoot, and if he doesn't take me off this planet I. WILL. SHOOT." She paused for what Han was sure was dramatic effect before snapping, "Organa OUT," and once again switching off the com.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Han said as she continued to point the blaster at his head.

"Oh, hurry up and take off before they realize they can just close the hangar doors," she snapped.

With the blaster still pointed at his head he didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

 _Stick with me, it's going to be a wild ride :D As always all reviews and follows are greatly treasured :)_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **CONFIDENTIAL** Internal Memorandum 96, _For High Command Eyes **ONLY**_

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 103, 01:17 hours

Securely transmitted to: Chancellor Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, General Cracken, General Dodonna, General Madine, Admiral Massa, Admiral Nantz, General Rieekan, General Tantor, General Veertag

Not transmitted to: Princess Leia Organa

Internal Memorandum 96

After nearly 4 hours of intensive debate, this Memorandum summarizes all feasible courses of action regarding what the Committee has agreed to refer to as The 'Hijacking' of the Millennium Falcon.

Option 1: Proceed as though Captain Solo has kidnapped Princess Organa. Send a small strike team to recover the princess and return her to base.

 _Pros_ : The princess would be returned to her rightful place on base.

 _Cons_ : This is based on a lie, as it is obvious that Organa went with Solo willingly. Solo would also need to be returned to base as the strike team would need to believe he kidnapped Organa. This would compromise our mission. Solo is unpredictable and might retaliate against the strike team. Organa would be angered by this course of action and doubtless also retaliate, though her retaliation would most likely come later in the form of the public humiliation of High Command.

Option 2: Proceed as though Organa has indeed hijacked the Millennium Falcon. Send a small strike team to return Organa to base, using force if necessary. Offer Solo compensation for any damage done to his ship or person during the course of the hijacking by Organa.

 _Pros_ : Organa will be returned to base without compromising the Mission to Ord Mantell.

 _Cons_ : Command would need to share a version of what occurred with the strike team, making Command the laughingstock of base. Organa's sanity would likely be called into question, damaging her reputation and diminishing her use as a symbol of the resistance. Solo might actually take Command up on the offer of compensation, which Command cannot afford. Organa and Solo are unlikely to be any more amenable to Option 2 than to Option 1, and may retaliate accordingly, either together or separately. The thought of their retaliating together frightens Command.

Option 3: Completely ignore what has happened, leaving Organa and Solo to sort the matter out for themselves. Attempt to resume the status quo when Organa and Solo return to the base.

 _Pros_ : The path of least resistance. Unlikely to result in any casualties or unnecessary scenes.

 _Cons_ : The judgment of Solo and Organa when it comes to one another and in one another's company has proven to be highly questionable. See Mission reports 1, 36, 58, 102, 145, 186, and 209; Memorandums 22, 76, 132, 198, 378, 465, 466, 467, and 501; Internal Memorandums 8, 16 ,33, 57, 69, and 91; and both Solo and Organa's noted Infractions located in their personnel files for just a few of the best documented examples. There was also the infamous 'Sweetheart's Day Incident,' which was, after hours of debate, never officially memorialized as a special favor to Organa but is nonetheless known of throughout Hoth's base. Furthermore, this option may give Solo and Organa the idea that they can openly defy Command without consequences.

Option 4: Pretend that this was what Command intended all along and brainstorm ways that Organa may be able to help Solo on the Mission to Ord Mantell.

 _Pros_ : Will not need to reveal to base what has actually happened. May be able to accomplish more on Ord Mantell with two people than just one. Unlikely to result in retaliation by Solo or Organa.

 _Cons_ : Mission is highly dangerous and likely to put Organa's life in danger. Furthermore, Solo's safety may also be compromised with Organa there, as Command has compelling reasons to believe the mission may be safer if executed by a single individual. Organa and Solo may come to blows- or worse.

* * *

 _Aboard the Millennium Falcon, 3 ABY, Day 102, 20:19 hours_

Han flinched as Leis casually tossed the blaster onto his lap the instant the ship made the jump to lightspeed. "Careful with that thing!"

To his shock she, who had always been a bigger stickler for safety than anyone else on base, rolled her eyes as she sank down next to him in the copilot's seat. "I'd be more careful if I'd ever actually turned it on." As he shook his head in disbelief something in her face changed, and she frowned slightly before saying, voice sincere and almost sorry, "I thought you knew it was off."

Of course he hadn't known, but that wasn't something he'd ever admit to her, even knowing that she was fully aware of the truth. By now, though, he knew better than to try to deny it, either- she'd only see right through him- so he decided to abandon the topic entirely, grabbing the blaster and sticking it back into its holster. He checked the flight coordinates one more time before putting the ship on autopilot and standing up.

As he expected she stood up, too, and he was glad of his height as it enabled him to glare down at her as he went on the offensive. "What happened to I'm in charge?"

He felt sharp frustration as she shrugged what might have been sheepishly if the gesture had come from anyone else. On Leia, though, the shrug somehow seemed more like a dismissal, as though the very idea of his being in charge was so small and silly as to be beneath notice.

"What you said was that _once we get there,_ you're in charge. I haven't violated our agreement. I'm still absolutely ready to submit to your authority once we land on Ord Mantell. Until then, I haven't agreed to anything that I'm aware of." She paused, then grimaced. "Anyway, someone had to get us out of there and I didn't see you coming up with any better ideas-"

Han felt himself warming slightly at the words 'absolutely ready to submit to your authority' and even started to think about all the appealing possibilities that those words might entail before registering the end of her statement and feeling his anger return. "Hang on now, highnessness, I'm not the one who needed someone to get me out of there! I was on my way to having a nice pleasant mission _alone_ before _you_ showed up and ruined everything!"

Her face fell slightly at his words and despite his anger and the fact that they were mostly true he regretted them immediately. After only a few seconds though her face hardened and she drew herself up to her full height.

"If I ruined everything then why did you agree to take me?"

Han briefly wondered if Rieekan had actually been trying to tell him that Leia had finally lost her mind. He didn't suppose anyone could really blame her if she had- Leia always seemed so mature and put together it was easy to forget how young she was, how much she had lost and how much had been unfairly placed on her shoulders-

He forced himself to snap out of it- he'd never coddled Leia and he wasn't about to start now. "I agreed to take you because you were pointing a blaster _at my head!_ "

He expected some heated retort about how it wasn't on and he should have known that, but instead she bit her lip, meeting his eyes before saying quietly, almost hesitantly, all of the venom gone from her voice and expression and replaced with a somberness he found it hard to turn away from, "No. I mean before that."

He shook his head, feeling his anger leave him to be replaced with far less comfortable emotions- emotions he knew would sink him if he let himself focus on them- and so he deliberately forced himself to ignore them. "I don't know," he replied after a long moment, his own voice quiet, mirroring hers.

"Don't you?" she asked, sounding curious, her bottomless brown eyes never leaving his, drawing him in.

"No," he retorted sharply, breaking eye contact through a sheer force of will, determined not to think about it any further.

To his surprise she smiled. "I think you agreed for the same reason that I asked."

For an endless moment as he processed her words Han wondered if it could be possible that Leia Organa was flirting with him, but dismissed the idea as impossible almost as soon as he had it. The Princess had always made it perfectly clear she had no time for or interest in flirtation generally, and more recently that flirtation from him was particularly unwelcome. Far more likely she had identified some common value she imagined they shared, such as her intense and very newfound desire to stick it to High Command-

"And what reason might that be?" he asked, unable to help himself, glad when the words sounded slightly sarcastic even though his interest was painfully sincere.

"We're friends, she said simply, astonishing him.

"I don't have any friends," he said firmly, ignoring the fact that less than 30 minutes ago he'd been thinking the same thing.

Of course Chewie took that moment to enter the cabin, roaring his objection, and Leia looked as though she were struggling not to laugh for several seconds before she actually _winked_ , shooting Han a triumphant grin. "Of course you don't."

"Friends don't let friends get kidnapped at blasterpoint," Han muttered darkly, glaring at Chewie. "Where'd you disappear to all this time, _friend?"_

[I've been just outside,] Chewbacca roared happily. [I would have come in sooner, but I didn't want to interrupt the mating ritual.]

Leia's brow furrowed. "What does that word mean? The one before ritual? Is it something about our arguing?"

"Yes," Han lied, feeling his face grow hot and hoping that he wasn't blushing, since that was one humiliation he did not need. As he saw Chewie open his mouth to protest he rushed on, "Anyway, even if there was a ritual to interrupt- which there WAS NOT- a blaster being drawn would have put an end to that-"

[But you were in no danger,] Chewbacca protested indignantly. [It was obvious that the blaster was off.]

Leia beamed beatifically at the words, which she clearly understood, and for the thousandth time Han wished he'd been able to stop her from studying Shyriiwook.

[Anyway, this clearly is a mating ritual of some kind,] the Wookie concluded. [You and the princess are on a ship together, alone, having fun. While your mating rituals are unnecessarily complex, this seems straightforward-]

"Trust me, pal, we are not having fun," Han protested.

[Aren't you?] Chewbacca roared innocently. [I am.]

Han fought against the urge to growl in frustration before shaking his head and turning away.

* * *

 _3 ABY, Day 103, 06:00 hours_

Han walked into the galley, confused when he smelled caf. Chewie normally never rose before 8 unless it was an emergency-

His confusion disappeared as Leia rose from her seat at the galley's small table, so tiny herself that he'd nearly missed her. He hadn't seen her since she'd stormed out of the cockpit and toward the crew's quarters the night before, and he braced himself for whatever quip she might want to start off with this morning, but she just smiled, a real smile that threatened to take his breath away.

"Caf?" she questioned, not waiting for him to answer before moving to pour him a cup. "I wish I had some breakfast to offer you, but you know I'm not much of a cook-"

"Caf is great," he replied needlessly since she was already holding a glass out to him, stepping forward into the light.

His jaw dropped slightly as he got his first good look at her attire. What he'd taken for a casual dress was actually one of his own button down shirts, sleeves rolled up, so large on her that it fell almost to her knees. She'd tied some jumper cables around her waist, effectively cinching the fabric there and giving the shirt some shape. Her legs and feet were bare, which he supposed only made sense when she'd come onto the _Falcon_ dressed in nothing but a snow suit. He briefly wondered what she'd slept in but quickly quashed that train of thought as he continued to survey her.

She should have looked ridiculous but instead she looked ridiculously sexy.

Han instantly banished that thought from his mind. There was no denying that Leia was more attractive than anyone had a right to be- he'd tried and failed to fight his attraction to her for months before finally, reluctantly, admitting to himself that there was no point. He supposed it might have been easier if the attraction had only been physical, but that wasn't to be. He'd always known he had no chance with her, though, and so he'd just accepted his attraction as an unfortunate hindrance that was bound to pop up from time to time- like an old injury. Sometimes the pain would make itself known but you just had to keep going, secure in the fact that the worst was over.

The problem with Leia, though, was that it was always hard to know whether the worst actually was over. Before the terrible mistake on Sweethearts Day a few months ago and the failed mission to Champala that immediately followed it, he'd started to believe that it might be possible that the attraction he felt for her was returned- in fact, he'd nearly gone so far as to say something serious to her about it, which he now realized would have been a catastrophic mistake from which their friendship, such as it was, could never have recovered. It was easier to just banter with her and be a little angry sometimes and forget all of that mushy stuff, especially when he'd probably leave any day anyway and she was probably in love with Luke-

"Does it look that bad?" her voice cut through his thoughts as she smiled at him, a warm and slightly self-deprecating smile that did nothing to help him ignore his attraction to her or to refuel his anger from the day before.

"No," he said honestly, clearing his throat when his voice came out sounding slightly hoarse. "The shirt looks better on you than it ever did on me."'

She tilted her head, seeming to judge his sincerity, before her smile widened and she took another step forward, pushing the warm cup of caf into his hands. "I'm not so sure I'd agree with that, flyboy," she retorted, arching a brow, and for the second time in as many days he wondered if she might be flirting before viciously slapping the thought away. Long, painful experience had taught him that this version of Leia- kind, open, caring, just the slightest bit flirtatious- was actually the most dangerous to him, and so he usually responded by turning the conversation to the ongoing war, or barring that, to picking a fight with her, but today he was unable to repress a returning smile as he shrugged.

"Some things are a matter of opinion."

"I'll drink to that," she nodded, lifting her own caf in his direction before taking a long sip.

He hesitated, mentally weighing the pros and cons of just going to the cockpit, but after a long moment he sat at the small table in the galley, as far apart from the chair she'd been sitting in as possible. To his chagrin she hesitated only a moment before pulling a different chair next to him, so close their arms were almost touching. They sat in silence for a few long minutes before he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"If all goes well we should be able to land on Ord Mantell tomorrow morning," he offered, unsurprised when she nodded as though she'd already known this.

"We should discuss the mission before we land," she offered. He opened his mouth to protest that she wasn't going to have any part in the mission and there was no point in discussing it further before deciding that it was too early in the morning to try to have the argument that would surely follow.

"Okay," he offered shortly, unwilling to commit to anything further, and surprised when she suddenly looked down, wringing her hands slightly.

"I didn't say thank you, yesterday, and that was very wrong of me," she blurted, the mission evidently not what was really on her mind. She took a deep breath before looking up with appeared to be some effort, meeting his eyes. "Thank you for taking me out of there. I know you didn't have to and I know you were looking forward to getting away from me."

He started to protest but she silenced him by placing a hand on top of his on the table, her face as earnest as he could remember seeing it.

"Han. I know I put you in a bad position, and I'm sorry. But I really am grateful to you and I want you to know that."

He shrugged, feeling suddenly awkward. "Let's just say I had my reasons, too," he teased, trying to lighten the suddenly serious mood. "For one thing, this all would have been much more boring without you."

She snorted, giving him another wide and open smile as she nudged his shoulder with her own, releasing her grip on his hand. "Life with you is never boring either, hot shot."

He smiled back, hesitating before asking the question that had plagued him since she boarded the ship. "Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?"

She looked at him blankly before understanding flashed onto her face. "Oh. You mean why I left High Command to stow away with you?" He nodded and after a brief moment she nodded too, face serious now. "I will tell you. But could it wait until tonight? It's a long story and I still haven't had nearly enough caf to get through it."

He nodded. "Sure." They sat together in silence for a few more minutes but this time the silence was comfortable- so comfortable that it made Han uneasy. He stood abruptly. "I should go check on the deflector shield projector- it's been finicky lately."

To his amazement Leia stood too. "I'll help you."

"That's a generous offer but I really don't need any help-"

Leia snorted, plainly disbelieving. "With _this_ ship? If you don't need help, Darth Vader is secretly working for the Rebel Alliance."

He hesitated, both offended and aware that she was right. "I suppose I could find something for you to do."

* * *

 _3 ABY, Day 103, 11:22 hours_

"Like this?" Leia questioned, beginning to twist the final part of the deflector shield projector back into place.

She'd been a quick study, which didn't surprise him- he'd never seen Leia Organa set out to learn something without succeeding in learning it both speedily and thoroughly- but she also seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself, which did surprise him, enormously.

"Yeah, like that," he confirmed, taking a small step back as she gave it one more twist. A small green light above it immediately went on and Leia beamed, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as it whirred to life. To his shock she gave a small fist pump as it did so, and he fought the unexpected urge to laugh at her enthusiasm.

"Enjoying yourself?" he teased, but she didn't rise to the bait, instead just nodding enthusiastically.

"Yes!" she said. "I never really understood all the time you put into repairing this hunk of junk, but it's so _satisfying_ \- something isn't working right, and then you, _yourself_ , go in and do something and suddenly it _is_ working right. There's no talking or debating or hesitation-" her smile faded and she shook her head before saying, more primly, some of the old frost back in her voice. "I mean, I suppose I can see why it appeals to you."

He thought about taking or pretending offense at her statement- he didn't let just anyone call his girl a hunk of junk, and he was fairly sure Leia's last statement had been intended as some kind of halfhearted insult- but her eyes were still shining at her success, and he found he had no desire to take that away from her.

"Thanks," he said instead, and was rewarded when the eager smile returned to her face.

"What else can I help with-" she began before the Falcon suddenly shuddered, slowed, and then jerked to a stop, throwing them both backward. Han reflexively threw his arms out to grab her and he was instantly sorry he'd done so as she crashed against him with more force than he'd imagined someone of her size was capable of, painfully elbowing him as they fell together against the wall.

To Han's surprise Leia made no move to immediately push away from him, and so he didn't let go of her even as it became increasingly clear that the ship had come to a standstill and further turbulence was unlikely.

Han cringed as he braced himself for whatever harsh words Leia was probably going to throw at him about the Falcon breaking down again, and just when she'd finally seemed to be starting to appreciate some of the ship's finer qualities, too, but he worked to remain outwardly unaffected. "Most likely either the hyperdrive or the motivator shorted," he told Leia quickly. "Should be easy to fix as long as-"

Leia frowned as she peered up at him. "Isn't this the second or third time the hyperdrive has acted up? Why don't you put in a requisition order to Command for a new one?"

"Tried that," Han retorted briefly. "Turns out they're in short supply and since I haven't officially joined I'm not at the top of the list for any that turn up."

Leia's frown deepened. "I'll make sure you get one once we're back. You should have mentioned it to me."

Han supposed he should have, really- no matter what problems he might have with Leia, he'd always known her to come through in situations like this. "I should have. Sorry for the delay this is going to cause-"

To his shock her frown smoothed and then turned into a smile as she seemed almost ready to laugh. "It wouldn't be a trip on the Falcon without some delay," she said, but her voice was warm, teasing as she pushed back just slightly, not out of his arms but rather, somehow _into_ them, attaining a more comfortable position for both of them without actually pulling away. "Anyway, Luke always says ships resemble their owners, and I find that to be particularly true here."

Han knew the words had to be an insult but her tone was still amused, friendly, and so he took the bait, moving his hands slightly lower on her waist as he did so "What's that supposed to mean, unpredictable?"

She nodded, looking at him contemplatively. "Sure, unpredictable. And frustrating. Even temperamental. But like you always say, she's got it where it counts."

Han narrowed his eyes, not knowing what to do with what appeared to be a sincere and very unexpected compliment. He wasn't able to think about if for long, though, as Leia moved her arms slightly so that her hands came to rest on his chest, tilting her head upwards in a way that, were she any other woman, would have been unmistakable. Han felt for the first time in a while that he might be able to kiss her, and that for all her complaining and arguing and bluster, she would probably let him do it- possibly even welcome it. He swallowed hard, looking down at her, and she licked her bottom lip before lowering her own eyes demurely, almost seeming to invite him-

Han cringed and Leia jumped backwards as Chewie let out a roar from somewhere above them, and Leia reacted more quickly than Han did, scampering up the ladder and into the ship's main corridors before he could even process what Chewie had said. Once he did, though, he felt unamused- for someone allegedly so determined not to get in the way of any 'mating rituals' the Wookie certainly had a terrible sense of what was important.

"Yeah, I can see we're in trouble," Han snapped, climbing up himself. "It should be an easy fix, though- the hyperdrive has been a little tempermental for the past few weeks but I think I can just-"

"Han," Leia cut him off from further down the hallway, where she was looking out a window, her voice sounding strange, almost panicked. "The hyperdrive isn't the problem. Or, it is, but it's not the immediate problem."

"Then what's the immediate problem?" Han snapped, sure it couldn't possibly be worth all this.

"The immediate problem is that we appear to have dropped out of hyperspace, right into the middle of a den of space pirates."

* * *

 _Hi again everyone :) Thanks for sticking with me as I plow ahead with this story! I really appreciate every single review I've gotten, the feedback means a lot to me. I've been bad about replying to reviews but I'm going to try to take some time to do so over the weekend- really, thank you so much! This is pretty different than other stuff I've written so it means so much to me to know people are enjoying it :D_

 _I'm going to do my best to update on Wednesday or Thursday each week going forward. As always reviews and follows are so treasured!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Official Memorandum to all On-Base Personnel Regarding High Command Member Princess Leia Organa's Absence from Base

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 103, 13:55 hours

It has come to the attention of Alliance Command that many Alliance members stationed on Hoth have taken note of Command Member Leia Organa's sudden departure from base. We realize that several of you were counting on her to participate in the Nuna-ball tournament that occurred this morning, and that 'someone small enough to dart between people's legs' is not easy to replace. We also realize that she has missed both the Committee Meeting regarding Snow Safety and the Committee Meeting regarding Food on Base, both of which she was to chair.

Princess Leia's sudden departure from base was both known of and fully sanctioned by Alliance Command. Late on Centaxday, a Committee consisting solely of High Command members met regarding a key mission currently being undertaken by Captain Han Solo of the Millennium Falcon. While it was originally anticipated that Captain Solo would go on this mission alone, it became clear that, due to certain details of a confidential nature, Captain Solo would require a human partner to go with him. Due to the extremely dangerous nature of the mission, Command was reluctant to order any Alliance member to go with Captain Solo.

Faced with this information, Princess Organa heroically and selflessly volunteered her services in this capacity, and is currently with Captain Solo, risking her life for the Alliance, a model to us all.

We anticipate that Princess Organa and Captain Solo will return to base no later than next Benduday. Command would be very grateful to any individuals who are able to come forward with further details regarding any meetings that the Princess was set to chair during this time, as it has come to our attention that some of these meetings may not be listed on the official Command schedule.

Sincerely,

High Command

* * *

 _Aboard the Millennium Falcon,_ _3 ABY, Day 103, 11:38 hours_

"What do you mean, pirates?" Han questioned doubtfully, certain that not even his luck could be that bad.

As he pushed Leia aside to look out the window himself, though, he quickly realized they were, indeed, surrounded by Des'maric Pirate ships, though how Leia had been able to identify them as such he had no idea.

He nodded before stating the obvious. "Pirates." He turned to Leia, unable to resist the urge to ask the question. "How'd you recognize them?"

She gave him a mildly insulted look. "While it's true that not all of us are lucky enough to have your colorful and checkered past, I can assure you that I'm perfectly capable of memorizing basic ship designs and insignia. To be able to tell friend from foe can mean the difference between life and death in any number of situations involving intergalactic travel-"

Han rolled his eyes upward, ardently wishing he hadn't asked. "Yeah, yeah, spare me the senatorial lesson for today."

Leia pursed her lips, looking ready to protest, but ultimately just shook her head. "Alright, Captain," she replied, placing just the slightest amount of emphasis on the title in a way he disliked but knew he couldn't object to. "What now?"

He shrugged. "We wait."

"We wait for what?" Leia asked skeptically.

"We wait to see what they do. There's reason to think they may just leave us alone."

"Really?" Leia asked, sounding genuinely curious. "What's that?"

"These guys tend to be more interested in raiding outlying settlements and forcing citizens to pay them tribute than they are in going after spacecraft," Han replied. "Also, I've met them before," he added after a moment, being intentionally vague and trying to make it sound like an afterthought, but as Leia's eyes narrowed and Chewie let out a plaintive growl Han sensed they hadn't been fooled. "Of course," he continued reluctantly, "There's also reason to believe they might attack us."

"What's that?" Leia repeated, sounding wary this time, and Han grimaced, not quite meeting her eye.

"Like I said, I've met them before."

As if on cue, the first shots from the Des'maric Blastboats hit the _Falcon_ , rocking the ship slightly and sending them all crashing backwards.

"Good thing we fixed the deflector shield projector," Leia quipped as she gripped the side of the ship for support, shooting Han something that might almost have been a smile, and despite everything he felt himself quirking an eyebrow at her in recognition before shaking his head, trying to get a grip on the situation.

"Good thing," he agreed before starting to strategize, telling Leia and Chewie his plan before he was even fully aware that he had one. "Chewie, you go work on the hyperdrive. Let me know the second it's up and running again. I'm going to go try to fly us out of here. Leia, you get to-" he began, about to send her toward the rear laser cannon and less surprised than he probably should have been when he saw her running down the hallway in that direction as though he'd already given the order. For all their bickering, he'd realized a long time ago that in moments of true crisis, he and Leia were almost always on the same page.

"Hey! Stop!" he called, surprised when she did so and turned to face him, her back straight and her cheeks just the slightest bit flushed. Any nervousness she might have displayed earlier was replaced with the fiery determination he'd admired from almost the moment he'd met her, before he'd even learned her name. This was a woman who would fight to her last breath, no matter the odds- a woman who would literally die before giving up, and who expected the same of those around her. There was something valuable in that, and Han couldn't help but respect it, even if she did drive him crazy most of the time. "Do you even know how to work the cannons?"

She shot him a stern look, drawing herself up to her full height. "Yes. I've run the simulations on base and read up on basic technique." He opened his mouth to tell her there might be more to it than that, but she continued before he could do so, almost as though he had in fact spoken the words aloud. "I do realize that for some things there's no substitution for real life experience, however checkered and colorful it might be, but I have no reason to think that if someone can aim and fire a blaster they can't aim and fire a cannon." She raised her chin defiantly, as though daring him to contradict her, before continuing. "I _did not_ hijack this ship just to turn around and have this ship actually be hijacked. If we're captured, it won't be because _I_ couldn't shoot straight."

Han felt another flash of respect for her as she gave him one last determined glance before resuming her dash down the hallway, his shirt flying up around her thighs in a way he probably would have appreciated if the situation had been less dire. Instead, he turned and sprinted toward the cockpit.

* * *

Han had been in enough scrapes to know when things were bad, and this definitely qualified as bad. He'd certainly survived tougher situations, but among those that didn't involve a high possibility of his dying within the next time part, this was starting to rank among the worst. Despite his and Leia's best efforts, unless Chewie got the hyperdrive working, and soon, Han was pretty sure the Falcon was going to be taken and boarded.

Ordinarily that wouldn't concern him much- he didn't have much of value in the cargo holds, and while the Des'maric Pirates were known for their ruthless efficiency, he'd never heard anything indicating that they were cold blooded killers. Most likely he, Leia, and Chewie would be held for ransom and end up with whoever offered the most credits. Unfortunately there was no chance whatsoever that the Rebellion would be the highest bidders, but it was almost certain that, given enough time, the Rebellion would locate and come for them-or at the very least, for Leia. And while there was plenty the Rebellion wasn't good at, one thing Han had to admit they'd always excelled in was the rescue mission. Of course, until right now he'd not-so-secretly liked to think he had a lot to do with that, but he knew Luke and his squadron could be counted on to come through one way or another.

Even as he had the thought he shook his head, not entirely sure where it had come from. He'd spent most of his life trying to avoid depending on other people and then, out of nowhere, here came a kid and a princess, almost like the Force he didn't believe in was playing some elaborate practical joke.

Either way, this situation would normally rank somewhere in the middle of bad situations he'd been in recently, but this time Leia was here, and that changed things. All of the worst case scenarios somehow seemed much more catastrophic when she was involved. As yet another blast hit the ship, this one rocking it violently, he decided it was time to act.

"Leia, get to an escape pod," he shouted into the intercom system. For a long moment there was silence, and he wondered if the communications system had chosen this of all times to go on the fritz, but then he heard her voice, loud and clear and slightly doubtful.

"Are _you_ getting into an escape pod?"

There was no way that he was leaving the _Falcon,_ and he knew that she was aware of that fact, so he didn't bother to lie. "No."

"Then neither am I," she retorted, her voice laced with that grim determination that he knew so well.

"Leia, go to an escape pod. I'm in charge here, and this is an order."

"For the last time," Leia snapped, "I _did not_ agree that you were in charge. I agreed that you'd _be_ in charge when we made it to Ord Mantell. So unless you're trying to tell me this is all some elaborate dream and we're actually safe in a cantina somewhere YOU. ARE. NOT. IN. CHARGE."

"First of all, that is NOT what you said. Second of all, I'm the Captain of this ship," he protested sharply. "OF COURSE I'm in charge."

"If it makes you feel better to think that, go right ahead," she said cooly, making his blood boil, and he wondered why he even cared if she got into an escape pod when she was determined to take this attitude. "Anyway," her voice cut through his thoughts, "there might still be a way out of this. If you go low and I aim to the left-"

She cut off abruptly as two new fighters sped into the airspace, flying low as she'd just suggested Han do. "Or not-" she began before hesitating. "That's odd," she mused.

"Not really," Han countered. "We're obviously outnumbered, but even so, it would be normal for them to send for reinforcements."

"Yes, of course," she replied, sounding impatient but hopeful, and he briefly, absurdly wished he could see her face. "What's strange is that they look like-"

"Hey, guys, need some help?" Luke's voice suddenly blasted into Han's ear at the same moment that Leia finished triumphantly,

"Ours!"

* * *

Once Luke arrived it was all over almost before Han fully understood what was happening. Luke grasped the situation with an ease that was uncanny, issuing orders that Han was only too glad to follow, even though it felt slightly odd to be the one taking orders from Luke rather than the other way around. Han knew he could never believe in the Force, but there was no denying that the kid had some kind of natural aptitude for something- he seemed almost able to predict the pirates moves before they made them, to know just when and where to shoot to confuse them. Han suspected it was ultimately the idea that more Alliance ships might be coming, rather than anything else, that made the pirates retreat, but whatever the reason, he wasn't going to complain.

"Thanks, kid," he said as Luke and the other pilot, who had been only too happy to identify himself as Wedge Antilles, pulled up near the _Falcon._ "Uh, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but where'd you come from?"

Luke and Wedge both hesitated, never a good sign. "Well," Luke said finally, "I was sort of following you."

"And I followed Luke!" Wedge added cheerfully.

Han thought about criticizing them or asking why, but finally just shrugged, deciding it wasn't really his problem. "Well, I guess it's good you did," he admitted.

"Yeah," Luke agreed, sounding serious. "We'd have gotten down to help you sooner but it took us a while to realize that you'd dropped out of hyperspace, and after we did it still wasn't easy to figure out exactly where, and even once we had pinpointed your location it took us another few minutes to see what was happening." He hesitated again. "Why'd you drop out of hyperspace anyway?"

"It wasn't exactly intentional," Han admitted reluctantly, reminded that Leia was still on the link when he heard her give a small snort at that.

"Leia?" Luke asked, sounding eager.

"I'm here," Leia said, her voice warm and affectionate, and Han felt a pang of jealousy at the obvious camaraderie between them- if it wasn't something more than camaraderie.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked, sounding deeply concerned, and Han debated turning off his link to them, knowing that they would probably rather talk in private. Ultimately, though, he left it on, reasoning that surely Leia and Luke knew that both he and Wedge could hear them and were able to ask for privacy if they felt they needed it.

"Yes," Leia said firmly, surprising Han somewhat- he'd have thought that at the very least she'd use the opportunity to get in some dig about the _Falcon_ , if not about Han directly. "Shouldn't I be?"

Luke hesitated again and Han felt the urge to roll his eyes at how tentative the kid could still be around Leia, even after all this time. "I wasn't sure," he said finally. "You left base so suddenly, and I could sense how upset you were-"

"I was," Leia agreed. "But I'm okay now. I just needed some time away from all of the politicking and committees."

"I suppose I can understand that," Luke said, not sounding much like he understood at all, but Han supposed he couldn't blame him- Leia being sick of politicking and committees would have seemed impossible to him, too, less than a standard day ago. "Do you want Wedge and me to stick around? We could come with you guys to Ord Mantell."

"Oh- that's very sweet, but I don't think so," Leia said, astounding Han, who would have expected her to jump at the chance to have any company that wasn't his. "You're needed back at base, and I'm absolutely confident that Han has the mission under control."

Han thought more seriously about cutting his link, since he was certain Leia wouldn't have said something like that if she'd thought he was still able to hear her.

"And- you're okay?" Luke questioned again before adding, as though he'd read Han's mind a moment ago, "You don't want the company?"

"Han's taking good care of me," Leia said, sounding almost defensive, and to Han's surprise Luke laughed.

"Sure, but maybe I'm worried about who's taking care of Han."

"Chewie," Leia retorted pertly, and Han couldn't suppress a smile of his own as both Leia and Luke laughed. After another moment he cut the link, leaving them to finish their conversation alone.

* * *

Leia looked out into space as the com disconnected, taking Luke's comforting presence with it as he and Wedge prepared to head back to base. She immediately regretted not just telling him to come aboard the Falcon- she knew Han wouldn't have objected. In fact, Han would probably be glad to have any company that wasn't hers.

She leaned backwards into her seat, wishing for the thousandth time that things were better between her and Han- a wish that almost physically pained her because she knew that, if she was being honest with herself, the strained relationship that had developed between them during the past few months was mostly her fault. Of course, being honest with herself didn't mean being honest with anyone else, and when she was trading barbs with Han she could almost even convince herself that he was responsible for the current state of things. After all, he wasn't without his own faults, of which there were many- he was arrogant beyond belief, often seemed incapable of taking anything seriously, was extremely mercenary, and generally seemed to delight in being one of the most unpleasant, insufferable creatures she'd ever met. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, despite what she'd swear were his own best efforts to disguise the facts, she'd figured out that he was also funny, and loyal, and incredibly brave. He was generous with his time, mentoring first Luke and then all the young pilots on base, and even though he repeatedly insisted he didn't want any position of authority he was an obvious and natural leader, knowing how to get the best out of every person and also the first person you'd want with you if something went wrong.

More than anything she wished she could go back to Sweetheart's Day and just keep her mouth shut. It wouldn't have been that difficult. Or at least, it _shouldn't_ have been that difficult. She'd just been so infuriated when he'd disappeared without a word, even though, of course, there was no reason he shouldn't have disappeared. It was what he was always saying he was going to do, after all. It was the whole reason that she'd fought so hard against becoming attached to him- the whole reason why she'd never been able to come out and tell him how she felt, even in the weeks before their falling out when everything between them was going so well. They'd still bickered then, of course- it was getting impossible to imagine life without Han as a sparring partner- but their barbs had lost their bite, become more likely to end in laughter than in acrimony. They may never have had a traditional friendship, but she'd grown to really care about him and she knew that he cared about her too. In fact, she'd even started to think he might feel something more for her, and she'd gone out of her way not to discourage him, knowing, when she was in one of these honest moods, that she felt more for him too.

She was aware that half of Hoth's base thought she was an ice queen, but with Han she felt far removed from that- she felt like she was on fire. At times the fire came out in augments and harsh words but at other times it was more of a glow, as though she were pleasantly simmering, just waiting for him to release something in her-

But of course that was before. Now more than anything she burned with shame thinking about what she'd said on that day, and Han's crushed look when she'd said it. Before that moment she hadn't really understood that she could hurt him, but with sudden, terrible clarity she'd known that she could- that she had- and that there was nothing she could do about it.

But that wasn't true, either, if she was still being honest with herself. She could have begged for his forgiveness and told him she didn't mean it, swallowed her pride and been completely open for once. But she hadn't felt able to risk it, and then came that terrible, terrible mission to Champala that she tried her best not to think about.

So she'd come to accept that they were still friends, but friends with a strained friendship that was in desperate need of repair that didn't seem to be forthcoming- until the events of the past standard day. This morning, working with him, it had almost been as though everything was alright again- and before this ridiculousness with the pirates, she'd thought he was going to kiss her. Of course, that didn't mean he would have. She'd been sure he was going to kiss her more than once in the past, but something had always stopped him. She wasn't sure what that might be though, and so she had to admit to the real possibility that she was wrong and he didn't think of kissing her- and why would he, really, when he could kiss whoever he wanted on base? She knew she must seem painfully young and boring and maybe even frigid by comparison.

Not for the first time, she wished she could feel about Luke the way she felt about Han. He'd be a safe choice, a dependable choice- the opposite of Han in many ways. She knew, somehow, that she could trust him never to hurt her, and that he'd be sweet and gentle with her, but no matter how she tried she could never seem to view him as anything more than a close friend- more like a brother than like anyone who could ever be her lover. And anyway, what she'd liked about Han before she'd liked anything else about him at all was the fact that he _wasn't_ sweet and gentle with her. He'd always treated her like a human being, even right after the destruction of Alderaan when literally the entire rest of the base kept looking at her like one wrong word might make her fall apart. Han had never bought into that, though, or into the odd attitude that also seemed to permeate the base that because she was a Princess she was somehow special, untouchable. To him she was always sure she was just Leia, and even at the times when she'd wanted to kill him and known that he despised her, she had always been extraordinarily grateful to him for that.

"Hey," Han's voice cut through her thoughts, and she jumped before turning to face him, smiling as she saw him leaning casually against the doorway, looking as though nothing at all out of the ordinary had just happened and they were just on a casual flight together. Of course, chances of their ever just being on a casual flight together were nonexistent, but it was easy to forget that, sometimes, when he looked at her in a certain way. "Nice shooting."

Leia narrowed her eyes as he nodded toward the cannons, not sure whether he was patronizing her, but ultimately decided it didn't matter and took his comment at face value. "I told you I could do it."

"Oh, I knew you could do it," he replied, his voice low, almost affectionate, and she felt her stomach twist as she deliberately looked away from him, not wanting to deal with this version of Han- at least not now.

"How badly has this all delayed our arrival on Ord Mantrell?" she asked, grasping for something to say, but she knew that for some reason that it had been the wrong thing as Han's voice hardened.

"Probably not more than a few hours. With me and Chewie working on it I don't think the problem should last for much longer."

With an effort she forced herself to turn back to him. "Can I help with-"

"No," he cut her off, voice still hard. "You can't."

Bizarrely he looked at her like he wanted or expected her to say something in response, but as so often happened when she was with Han, Leia had no idea what that might be. Ordinarily when she felt like that she gave into the destructive impulse to say something cutting, but she found that right now she just didn't have it in her, and so she just kept staring at him until he turned and walked away.

Leia thought about running after him but somehow knew this wasn't the time. Still, she had to believe she could fix this. The only question was how.

* * *

 _3 ABY, Day 103, 22:16 hours_

Fixing the hyperdrive took long enough that Han knew he was going to need to replace it, and soon, with or without the help of the Alliance. The only good thing about the repairs taking so long was the sure knowledge that Leia would be asleep, and that he wouldn't have to worry about running into her until the morning.

As he stepped into the lounge, though, he quickly realized that even that small comfort was going to be denied him as he spotted Leia, her legs tucked underneath her where she sat on the small sofa, nursing a large glass of alcohol.

He immediately considered and discarded any number of things he could say to her- about the alcohol, about her presence here, about the hyperdrive, even about Luke- but then he made the mistake of meeting her eyes. Just like some of the nicer aspects of her personality, he'd long ago accepted that he eyes were dangerous to him- capable of drawing him in one moment and cutting him to pieces the next, full of things he was absolutely certain he'd never come close to understanding and that he could drive himself crazy trying to.

Tonight, though, her eyes were soft, alluring, impossible to look away from even if that was what he wanted- and of course, if he were telling the truth, that wasn't what he wanted. For her part, Leia seemed in no great hurry to look away either, and her eyes seemed to grow wider, more enticing as endless moments passed.

"Whisky?" she finally inquired, voice low and almost sultry as she leaned forward invitingly and held out a glass he hadn't seen, her eyes never leaving his.

Han was pretty sure that was supposed to be his line, but he didn't say anything at all as he stepped toward her, their hands brushing together as he moved to take the glass.

* * *

 _Hi everyone! I am so appreciative of everyone who has been reading and enjoying this story- thanks for sticking with me! In many ways this is a departure from what I usually write and it's definitely out of my comfort zone, so to know that people are enjoying it enough to keep reading and to review means the world to me. I think I am finally caught up on sending messages to my reviewers but thank you so much again from the bottom of my heart- your feedback and kind words are treasured._

 _The question I am asked most is when we're going to find out why Leia left base. You'll have the answer next chapter. Actually, the scene where she and Han talk about that was basically my whole initial idea for this fic :D_

 _Again thank you so much for reading and for reviewing and following- every review makes my day!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Follow Up To Official Memorandum to all On-Base Personnel Regarding Princess Leia Organa's Absence from Base

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 103, 21:32 hours

High Command has received an unprecedented number of replies to our Memorandum regarding Leia Organa's absence from base. Initially, High Command planned to ignore these replies, which are rife with conspiracy theories that are, frankly, beneath the dignity of each individual on base and insulting to High Command Member Princess Leia Organa, to Captain Han Solo, and to High Command itself. However, High Command has now received nearly 75 replies on this topic, almost all of which present grossly erroneous theories and misinformation.

High Command therefore feels obligated to take this opportunity to clarify that there is no truth to the idea that, as some have suggested, "Han and the Princess have finally decided to shack up and make beautiful babies together." Similarly, Captain Solo and High Command Member Organa have not "confessed their undying love and run away together", nor have their "finally given into their uncontrollable lust that is obvious to everyone". The Alliance can rest assured that Captain Solo and High Command Member Organa are on a routine mission together, risking their lives for the Alliance. Any connection between them on this mission is strictly professional, and they were brought together on this mission by High Command for strictly professional reasons. To suggest otherwise is demeaning to both Solo and Organa, who have heroically volunteered for this mission at great cost to themselves, realizing it may entail the loss of their lives.

High Command is also aware of the unfounded rumors that Commander Luke Skywalker has left the base. High Command can assure the Alliance that there is no truth to these rumors.

Finally, High Command resents the implication (and in some cases direct accusations) that it is 'hiding something'. High Command has nothing to hide.

Further messages of this nature will be met with disciplinary action.

* * *

Leia's eyes flickered downward as Han took the glass and he felt a momentary flash of relief, followed by a feeling of emptiness he didn't care to analyze.

"Thanks," he said shortly, taking a generous gulp and trying to decide where he could possibly sit. The couch that Leia had commandeered was the obvious place, but Han felt anxious just thinking about sitting that close to Leia for an unspecified amount of time. There were a few other chairs scattered around but they presented the opposite problem- they were so far away from Leia's current position as to make it seem like he was deliberately avoiding being close to her if he said in one of them. As several long moments passed without his making a move to sit he wondered if it might be easiest just to stand until he was done with the whisky and then immediately make some excuse to get away. It wouldn't be hard- at this point Leia would probably believe anything he said about something being broken on the ship, and the worst part was that, given the _Falcon's_ track record when she was on board, he couldn't really blame her.

Even as he contemplated his escape, though, her eyes met his again, and he found himself unable to think much of anything as she scooted to the far left of the couch and then patted the seat next to hers.

He hesitated for another moment, but her expression was open, guileless, irresistible and before he really realized what he was doing he was sitting next to her, as far apart as the couch allowed, taking another gulp of the whisky.

"I left for a stupid reason," she said without preamble once he was seated, causing him to nearly choke on the alcohol. With everything that had happened that day he'd all but forgotten her promise to let him know what was going on between her and High Command, and the whole thing somehow seemed much less pressing after the pirates and the hyperdrive. He was still intensely curious about what was going on, though, and so he didn't have to try hard to look interested as she continued, biting her lip in a way he found undeniably sexy, "It was impulsive."

It was only with great difficulty that Han managed to refrain from either laughing or teasing her about that outrageous statement. The idea of Leia acting impulsively about something involving High Command was a little like the idea that Luke might really have the Force.

"I'm sure that's not true," he said carefully, still struggling not to smile, but meaning it nonetheless.

"It is," she said miserably, taking a sip of her own whisky and grimacing slightly as she swallowed. "I was upset because they don't think I could be a General."

It took Han a moment to process the words, and when he did he set down his whisky, turning his body more fully toward hers. "I- didn't know you wanted to be a General," he said carefully, conscious of the fact that she was confiding in him for the first time since Sweetheart's Day. "You always seemed happy with your position in High Command."

"Oh of course I'm not happy with my position in High Command," she snapped, astonishing him. "They don't let me do anything important, half the time they treat me like a child, and when I do finally get to do something important everything is a huge debate. They spent _six hours_ debating whether I was going to be _allowed_ to go on the mission to Champala. _Six hours._ " She looked at him, and then added, as though concerned he was missing the point, " _consecutively."_

Han shook his head, unable to suppress a small grin. "I dunno if you've noticed, but the committee isn't exactly known for its speed. And that mission was dangerous-"

"But that's just it," she said earnestly, leaning just the slightest bit closer to him. "It would be one thing if they didn't think I was _qualified_ to be a General, or if they didn't think I'd be _good_ at it. But their main argument against it seems to be that it's too _dangerous_ for me. If it were up to them I'd never do anything at all but chair meetings about social life on base and give speeches over the holonet. They want me to be a figurehead but I'm _not_ just a figurehead. I'm qualified to do more than that. And then they wonder why some people on base don't respect me. Mon Mothma thinks it's sexism but I wouldn't respect me either if I thought all I was doing was sitting in my room making propaganda videos."

Han did smile then, shaking his head wryly. "Sweetheart, I don't think anyone on base thinks you just sit in your room all day making propaganda videos. They all know you come out every once in awhile to harass me and Luke."

She hit his arm with a cushion, but to his relief she was smiling, not having taken offense for once. "You're a cad," she said, shaking her head, but there was no bite to the words as she continued to smile.

"A cad, huh?" he asked, grinning back. "Well, it's a step up from Bantha-breath."

She hit him again with the cushion and he put up his hands in mock surrender before turning serious, really thinking about what to say to her.

"I understand that how they treat you is frustrating," he said after a long moment, and her smile faded, replaced by a more solemn expression as she seemed to realize he was going to be serious for once. "I won't pretend I haven't noticed it or that I think you're wrong, because I have noticed it and you're not wrong. They're overprotective, and you're under-utilized. But I think you aren't really seeing the whole picture."

"What do you mean?" she asked, seeming genuinely interested in something he was saying for the first time in weeks, and his brow furrowed as he leaned toward her, hoping he wouldn't screw this conversation up.

"It's not all bad, to be a figurehead. Or at least, it's not all bad for the Alliance to have one. I can understand why you don't like that it's you, but it's valuable, what you do. You mean something to people. Sure, they don't really know you, and they only have this idea of you, but at the end of the day it's an important idea."

Leia's brow furrowed. "I don't understand. Important how?"

Han hesitated, again thinking hard about how to put it. "Like- that video you made, right after Yavin."

He worried she might not remember which video- by now there were literally dozens of videos of her making the rounds on the holonet- but she immediately rolled her eyes, making a face. "I'll never live that down. I don't know what I was thinking- I didn't even have anything prepared, I just started talking-"

"No," Han interrupted, surprising himself by how passionately he felt about the issue. "Or, well, yes. You did just start talking. But the things you said- for people who were scared, who were hopeless- those words meant something. _Seeing you_ meant something. You being alive meant they weren't doomed to die. You having hope for the future meant they could have hope for the future. You believing in the Alliance meant they could believe in the Alliance. So you're wrong, if you think you're 'just' a figurehead, or that your being alive and safe means nothing. For a lot of people, you're what gives them hope. And no, it's not fair to you, and yes, you're a lot more than that, and you're capable of a lot more than that. But to act like that's nothing- well, you're wrong. It's not nothing. It's all some people have. And when you think about it that way, you have to understand why the committee might be reluctant to risk your life, even for a good cause."

Leia looked away, then looked back to him with a slightly stunned expression. She opened her mouth, then closed it, and if he hadn't known her so well he would almost have thought she was trying not to cry. After a minute, though, he decided she must just be surprised that he'd said something to her that didn't contain a single insult. "I had no idea that you'd thought about this," she said finally, sounding touched and still looking rather shocked, and Han felt uncomfortable and very uncertain about what to do.

"I hadn't, really," he replied quickly, not entirely sure whether that was the truth, and for a terrible moment he felt like she was looking through him, into him, before she took another, larger sip of whisky, not cringing this time.

"They want to make _you_ a general, you know," she said after a moment, nearly causing him to drop his own glass of whisky. Instead he just took another large gulp of the alcohol before looking around covertly for the bottle to pour himself more.

"You're joking."

"I can assure you that I could not make this up," she said dryly, her eyes flickering to his nearly empty glass as she made the bottle of whisky materialize as though from thin air, pouring them both a generous portion. "They've been talking about it for months. If you'd agree to accept a commission, I'm certain that's the one they'd give you, though I'd be lying if I said I didn't think it would take a few more hours of debate."

"And whose idea was this?" Han scoffed, still not believing her. "Luke's?"

She shook his head. "No. I can honestly say Luke and I had nothing to do with it, but I've spoken in favor of the idea many times in Committee."

" _You've_ spoken in favor of the idea many times?" Han asked doubtfully. "Have you been getting drunk to make it through the committee meetings? Not that I'd blame you-"

"You know perfectly well I'm only ever drunk when I'm around you," she interrupted, taking another swig of the whisky as though for emphasis before bumping his shoulder with her own almost playfully. "And anyway, I don't know why it would be so hard to believe I'd speak in favor of the idea. It can't really come as any surprise to you that I wish you'd accept a commission and agree to stay on with the Alliance- I've said so often enough."

While that was true as far as it went, he couldn't have been more astonished if she'd grown a second head. "Yeah, but as a General-" he began uncertainly, trailing off when her eyes flashed up to meet his again. He expected her to just let it go, or to start hurling insults at him, like she almost always did when the conversation was getting too serious, but instead she leaned toward him, her expression earnest, sincere.

"I've told you before that I think you're a natural leader, so the position is a good fit in that way, but it's more than that. You're calm in a crisis and can make logical, well-thought-out decisions under enormous amounts of pressure. You're able to weigh risks quickly and accurately, and you're able to make the tough decision when the tough decision needs to be made. You're courageous in battle, but you're not foolish, and you're probably the best pilot we have. The real question is why anyone in their right mind _wouldn't_ want to make you a General."

As he stared at her with his mouth open, he had the uncomfortable feeling that his expression mirrored hers after he'd made his ridiculous speech about figureheads. With difficulty he forced himself to smile casually, taking another sip of the whisky. "I had no idea you'd thought about this," he said, trying to sound teasing as he echoed her words from earlier, but to his chagrin the words didn't come out teasing at all, and his voice sounded serious, earnest even to his ears.

"I haven't, really," she deadpanned, shooting him a smile before nudging him again with her shoulder, gently this time.

"Don't take this the wrong way," he said after a moment, "but if you want a different job with the Alliance, something where you actually feel like you're doing something and making a difference, have you thought about asking them to make you head of recruitment? You certainly have a way of convincing people."

" _Are_ you convinced?" she asked eagerly, and he wondered just how much whisky she'd had to be talking this way, just how much he'd had to let her. And then, out of nowhere, he let himself imagine her reaction if he said yes- the smile that he knew would split her face, the gleam that would enter her eyes, her excitement as she would kiss him-

He came back to reality with a grimace, not sure where the idea of her kissing him had come from, and he took another large gulp of whisky before shaking his head, more determined than ever not to give into the crazy feelings he had for her and making a note never to drink Corellian whisky with her again.

"No," he said gruffly, and as her face fell slightly he found himself adding, more gently, "but if I were some other guy I'm sure I would be. You have a way of encouraging people."

"That's funny," Leia said, tilting her head thoughtfully and looking at him like he'd said something profound. "That's what I've always thought about you."

"About me?" he scoffed, certain she couldn't be serious, but she nodded, looking very serious indeed as she leaned forward again, her knee pressing against his.

"Yes, of course about you. You get the best results out of every man and woman you come into contact with, and you do it without even trying. I think if I didn't admire the ability so much I'd be jealous."

"Every man and woman except you," Han retorted without thinking and then instantly regretted the words, dreading what she might make of them, but instead of reacting as he might have expected she looked at him in surprise

"Oh, no, especially me," she said with unexpected intensity, but he couldn't understand what she meant at all.

He shook his head, deciding to go for humor. "You're telling me the insulting person you are around me is the best version of you? Because if so I'm not sure I'd want to see the worst."

He expected her to be offended, or at least to pretend that she was, but to his shock, she laughed, another one of those rare, real laughs that took his breath away. "No, I didn't mean that. I meant- something else." For a long moment he thought she wasn't going to elaborate on what that something else might be, but then she squared her shoulders the way he knew she did when preparing for a battle, but this battle seemed to be against herself as she continued. "For instance, after Alderaan."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "You mean when Luke and I rescued you."

To his surprise she laughed again, although he didn't know what he'd said that might be funny. "No, I don't mean when you and Luke rescued me. That wasn't exactly your finest moment. I'm still convinced that if you'd had your way I'd be dead in a garbage chute somewhere."

"That garbage chute was your idea!" he protested, but even as he did he smiled at the memory.

"I never said it was my finest moment, either," she shrugged, shooting him a small grin before her face turned serious again. "But I'm actually talking about after all of that. Everyone expected me to fall apart. And to be honest with you, there were times when I wanted to. I lost almost everything that mattered to me in less than a standard minute. I was devastated."

Han hesitated- Leia had never talked to him directly about what had happened to Alderaan and he hadn't expected her to start now. There had been times he was pretty sure was was thinking about it, and even times when she'd told him stories about her family, and growing up there, but there had never been a time when she'd seemed inclined to talk about the planet's destruction and he'd never thought it was right to push the matter. He wasn't sure what to say, now that she was finally bringing it up, and so he decided to just wait for her to go on. As the silence continued, though, it became clear she did want or expect a response of some kind, and so he replied sincerely, all traces of joking gone from his voice. "Of course you were. Anyone would be. But you're wrong that everyone expected you to fall apart. I never thought you'd do that."

"No," Leia agreed, a ghost of a smile flitting across her face. "You never thought I'd do that. Over a thousand people were on base at that time, and of all of them, one person didn't expect me to fall apart. Even Luke, and Mon, and Riekaan all seemed to just want me to get through the Battle of Yavin _before_ I fell apart. It was never a question for them that I would. But you never treated me like they did. You treated me like you expected me to keep going. You treated me like I could take it. You treated me like I could take your barbs on top of it, too." She shook her head, her eyes slightly distant, as though she were lost in a memory. "Not even I knew I could take it, but every time I thought about falling apart you were there. And I'd think to myself, if that arrogant smuggler thinks I can keep going, then I can keep going."

Han shook his head, feeling that she was wrong in some essential way. "You'd have kept going anyway."

She looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I think I would have. But it was easier knowing someone else thought I could." She hesitated for the first time before placing a hand on his arm, and even though her touch was light he felt as though it was burning into him as she continued, her voice oddly impassioned. "That's why I really wish you'd accept the commission they want to give you. Not because I think you're a natural leader, even though you are, or because I know you'd be effective, even though you would. But because when I think about our troops- not the ones that are highly skilled or trained, but about most of our troops, the ones who come to us without experience- I know there's no one I'd rather trust their lives with than you. And I don't just mean that I trust you more than anyone to keep them alive- I mean I trust you more than anyone to believe in them and to make sure that they're actually okay."

"Leia," Han said heavily, feeling deeply moved and also terribly unworthy of her praise. It had been easier, all these months, to convince himself that what she felt for him was mostly contempt or something like it. To think that she might actually have a high opinion of him, when she wasn't busy insulting him within an inch of his life, was almost more than he could process. Worst of all, though, he was suddenly finding it hard to remember all the reasons that he couldn't accept a commission- all the reasons that he didn't _want_ to.

"Han," Leia replied, startling him from his thoughts. As his eyes met hers her grip on his arm tightened, just slightly, and she leaned just one more inch toward him, looking as though she felt it was the most natural thing in the world that she'd be sitting next to him, that their knees were still touching. Carefully, not allowing himself to overthink the gesture or what it might mean, Han placed his own hand on top of hers. Leia looked down and blushed, just slightly, but she didn't move away, and after another moment her eyes shot up to meet his and she licked her lips. "Han," she repeated, but her voice was different now, warmer and somehow inviting, and for once Han thought they were probably on the same page about what she was inviting him to do as he tightened his grip on her hand.

[I am sorry to interrupt the mating rituals,] Chewie said suddenly from the doorway, and Leia jumped back as though someone had fired a blaster at her, nearly falling off the couch as she did so and sending her glass of whisky crashing to the floor.

Han looked from Chewie to Leia in disbelief, feeling like the whole situation was too surreal for him to really be upset.

"It's okay, Chewie, we're not arguing now," Leia said after a long moment before flashing a slightly sardonic smile. "At least, not too much."

Han cringed as he waited for Chewie to correct Leia's understanding of the word 'mating' but to his relief the Wookie didn't seem inclined to linger on that now.

[I am sorry,] Chewie repeated, [but High Command is hailing the Princess through the Falcon's main communications system. They say it is very urgent.]

To Han's shock Leia rolled her eyes, though some distant part of him realized that given the events of the past 24 hours it shouldn't really surprise him. "I don't want to talk to them. And Han and I are busy. Tell them I'll call back later. Or better yet, tomorrow."

[I told her you were busy, Princess, but Chancellor Mothma said it could not wait,] Chewie roared as Leia's brow furrowed prettily.

"It's Mon- _herself?_ " Leia asked, sounding disbelieving, before shaking her head. "Guess I'm in more trouble than I thought."

Han knew he should probably be concerned with what the leader of the whole Rebel Alliance wanted with Leia, but as Leia shot him one last look before turning and heading toward the cockpit to talk to Mon, all he could think about was Leia telling Chewie they were busy and what she might have meant by it.

* * *

 _Thanks everyone for your patience in waiting for this update. I'm sorry it took me two weeks instead of one, I had some creative difficulties in writing it, and I als_ o _had some unexpected issues in my professional life that I had to deal with. I'm also behind again on responding to reviews for this reason, but I will try to catch up on those this weekend- I am so enormously grateful for all the reviews and encouragement I have received on this story. I should be able to update 'on time' next Wednesday or Thursday._

 _This chapter was hard for me to write because basically the entire thing is just one really long conversation, and I wanted the conversation to be realistic and also interesting for the reader, and I think it's sort of hard to maintain that interest when two people spend this long basically just talking, but I hope I did okay and that you enjoyed the chapter. The next one will be a better return to the 'balance' that I think the first 4 chapters had, but I think the conversation was necessary. Initially I planned to make this chapter longer so it would have included more scenes but I spent so much time agonizing over the co_ _nversation and editing it and it got so long that I felt it was better in the end to break here_

 _As always thank you so much for taking the time to read my fic. I know there's a lot of fic out there and that everyone has a life outside fic so it means a lot to me that anyone would take the time to read mine. I also truly appreciate every review, follow, and favorite that I get and deeply appreciate everyone who is generous enough to take time to leave a review, especially now that we are getting solidly to the middle of the story. I seriously take into consideration all feedback and criticism that I get on the story and try to take it to heart and use it to improve (though reviews that are just positive are of course very nice too ;))_

 _Finally, yes, what happened on Sweetheart's Day will be addressed soon :)_

 _See you next week!_


	6. Chapter 6

Transmission to all On-Base Personnel from Wedge Antilles

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 104, 08:33 hours

Just wanted to let everyone know that Luke and I are back on base and ready for action! I can also personally confirm that Luke, Han, and the Princess had a three-way while we were gone, and they let me listen in. Catch me in the mess hall for more info!

* * *

Transmission to all On-Base Personnel from Luke Skywalker

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 104, 08:39 hours

Wedge's message is a lie. Han, Leia, and I most definitely did not have a three-way, whatever that even means.

* * *

Transmission to all On-Base Personnel from Wedge Antilles

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 104, 08:41 hours

Three-way conversation through the coms. Get it? Three-way?

* * *

Transmission to Wedge Antilles from Carlist Rieekan

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 104, 08:48 hours

Pilot Antilles,

Command would greatly appreciate if you would agree to cease sending any messages regarding the mission you undertook with Luke Skywalker. Command would also appreciate if you would refrain from discussing the mission, which was classified, with any other on-base personnel. Please let me or High Command know if you have any questions about this.'

* * *

Transmission to Carlist Rieekan from Wedge Antilles

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 104, 08:53 hours

General,

With all due respect, what are you talking about? That wasn't a mission, and nothing was classified. I can say what I want, and if you think that High Command can stop the truth from getting out, you are mistaken. I'm a man of principles and I will not be silenced!

Wedge

* * *

Transmission to Wedge Antilles from Carlist Rieekan

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 104, 09:00 hours

We're willing to pay you for your silence.

* * *

Transmission to Carlist Rieekan from Wedge Antilles

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 104, 09:01 hours

Okay.

* * *

Transmission to all On-Base Personnel from Carlist Rieekan

Transmitted: 3 ABY, Day 104, 09:09 hours

As Pilot Antilles has already informed the base, he and Commander Skywalker recently returned from a highly classified mission. High Command is pleased to be able to tell the base that the mission went well, and everything is completely under control. High Command was unable to confirm Skywalker and Antilles absence from base until now due to the very delicate and time-sensitive nature of their mission. We are also unable to share further details about the mission at this time due to the fact that certain facets of the mission remain ongoing.

Skywalker and Antilles are currently catching up on some much needed rest. Antilles has authorized me to confirm that his email of 08:33 was merely a joke, and that neither he nor Skywalker have had any interaction with Solo and Organa.

This also seems an opportune time to state that High Command takes sexual harassment very seriously, and will not tolerate further innuendos.

Should any on-base personnel have any questions or concerns, please feel free to come to me directly. My door is always open.

Sincerely,

General Rieekan

* * *

 _Aboard the Millennium Falcon,_ _3 ABY, Day 103, 22:54 hours_

Leia sighed in frustration as she walked toward the cockpit. She knew she should be preparing to talk to Mon but all she could focus on was the look in Han's eyes, right before Chewie had interrupted them. It was the second time in the last standard day that she'd thought he was going to kiss her, and she had desperately wanted it to happen.

She felt silly and a little shallow, when there were so many more important things to be thinking about- the current mission to Ord Mantell, the larger war, even the food issues on base. But somehow none of those things seemed quite as satisfying as the warmth in Han's smile, on the rare occasions when he let her see it.

She reached the cockpit more quickly than she would have liked and took a deep breath before picking up the com.

"Mon, are you there?"

"Leia," the older woman replied at once, sounding relieved. "I'm glad you're alright."

"I don't see why I wouldn't be," Leia retorted, realizing that she sounded stubborn and maybe even a bit ridiculous but unable to bring herself to care.

"Indeed," Mon said dryly, and Leia was sharply reminded of how effortlessly Mon had played the Senate, a few years that now seemed like a lifetime ago. She let the word hang there before saying, sounding more annoyed than Leia had ever heard her, "Leia, tell me the truth- is anything going on between you and Han Solo?"

For a moment Leia was too taken aback by the blunt question to formulate a response. She was, of course, aware of the rumors about her and Han that permeated the base, but no one had actually ever had the courage to ask her about the situation directly, and she had never expected that Mon might be the person to finally broach the subject. "I have no idea what you mean," Leia finally said, grateful that Mon wasn't able to see the flush that she was sure had spread across her face.

"I find that difficult to believe," Mon said, the barest trace of amusement coloring her voice. Leia felt herself grow hotter, but her voice was cool and unconcerned when she finally replied.

"Even if I do know what you mean, I don't see how it can possibly be any of your business."

"Under ordinary circumstances it wouldn't be," Mon said, so quickly that Leia knew she must have anticipated the objection, "but given the damage control High Command has needed to do for the two of you for months, culminating in this latest _hijacking_ , you have to admit that you've made it our business. If you could see some of the messages High Command has had to sort through from those who remain on base-"

"Gossip is always rampant on base," Leia interrupted.

"Yes, and it always will be," Mon agreed smoothly, "but usually it's not based on something with such a blatant appearance of impropriety."

Leia blinked in surprise. "I don't see how my going off with Han could give the appearance of impropriety, and even if it did, fraternization isn't prohibited."

There was a pause that was longer than Leia would have expected. "Leia, you can certainly _fraternize_ with who you choose," Mon said carefully, "but surely you can see that giving the appearance of running out on your duties in order to go on a vacation with your lover might be damaging to morale on base, to our cause, and to your reputation."

" _Vacation_ with my _lover?_ " Leia repeated incredulously. "If only any of us were so lucky. It's true that I needed a break, and that I shouldn't have run off how I did, and I'll be happy to accept my punishment when I return to base. But why I ran to Han isn't any of anyone's business, and if the base wants to think I'm on vacation with my lover, I honestly don't care."

"Leia, you can't mean that," Mon said after a moment. "You've always been so serious about the cause-"

"I'm still serious about the cause," Leia interjected, "but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to have any life at all outside it. I've done everything for the Alliance. I've _given up_ everything. If people want to think otherwise that's not my problem."

"No," Mon stated, her voice suddenly harsh, "It's mine. Time and again you and Han Solo have created distractions, problems, and even scandals on base. And time and again it's me and the rest of High Command who have needed to pick up the pieces. The problem isn't that you are or might be fraternizing with someone. The problem is how you're going about it. We don't have time for this kind of volatility, and I need to know so that we can clean up this latest mess: is Captain Solo your lover?"

"No," Leia snapped, "but make no mistake: I wouldn't be embarrassed or think I'd done anything wrong if he were."

"Has he been your lover?" Mon persisted.

"No," Leia repeated, much more quietly, despite herself thinking regretfully of a time not so very long ago when it had seemed like he might become that.

Mon sighed audibly, then said, almost as if she could read Leia's mind. "You need to get the situation under control. It was all High Command could do to cover up what happened on Sweetheart's Day, and you're telling me you're not even sleeping with the man?"

Leia felt her mouth drop open at Mon's blunt assessment, unable to shake the feeling that at another time, under other circumstances, she might have found the whole conversation funny. "I'm certainly sorry for any problems I've created for Command," she said finally, not entirely meaning it, but Mon seemed to take her words at face value as she abruptly switched topics.

"Do you know where Luke Skywalker is?"

"No," Leia lied coldly, immediately, a little surprised by her own lack of hesitation. She'd always been capable of lying convincingly in a pinch, but there was a time she'd viewed it as an extreme measure and certainly not something you would do just because someone who you'd always respected and viewed as a mentor had annoyed you. Nonetheless, she couldn't deny the small measure of satisfaction she got from adding, doing her best to sound innocent, "Why? He's not missing, is he?"

"No," Mon lied back, just as coldly, and Leia reflected that at least she had learned from the best. After a long moment, though, the older woman sighed, and when she spoke again her voice was warmer, almost gentle. "There was a time you thought you could talk to me, Leia."

Something in Leia deflated at the sincerity in Mon's voice and she bit her lip, trying not to feel guilty even as she wasn't really sure what she had to feel guilty about. "I know I could come to you if I were in trouble, Mon," she finally said, meaning it.

"Good. Then we should talk about the mission to Ord Mantell."

* * *

[You must tell the little Princess how you feel,] Chewbacca said abruptly, a few minutes after Leia left to talk to Mon Mothma.

Han rolled his eyes, even though, if he were being completely honest with himself, he'd been starting to think over the pros and cons of doing something like that without any prompting from the Wookie.

"For the last time, pal, I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, not caring that he no longer sounded terribly convincing about the issue, if he ever really had. "Anyway," he added, bending down to pick up the glass that Leia had shattered when Chewie interrupted them, "even if I did have something to say to her, which I don't, she's made it pretty clear that she wouldn't want to hear it."

[That's not true,] the Wookie protested. [I heard the end of your conversation just now. It seemed to me that the Princess was very receptive.]

Han looked up, feeling vaguely scandalized. "You were _eavesdropping?_ "

To his chagrin Chewbacca just laughed. [Of course. I eavesdrop quite often, though the two of you don't make it very hard- half the time the whole base can hear you shouting. How else could I advise you?]

"I never asked for any advice," Han griped before leaning back against the wall, trying to sound casual. "But- you think she seemed receptive, huh?"

[Yes,] Chewbacca growled in the affirmative. [Before, I thought you should tell Leia how you felt because I thought it would be good for you, and because I thought she was also attracted to you, but tonight was the first time I was really sure that she understands you. You would be good together, if you can keep from doing anything too stupid.]

"You think so?" Han mused, actually allowing himself to contemplate the idea for a long moment before realizing the rest of what Chewie had said. "Hey!" he amended. "Who you calling stupid?"

[Both you and the Princess act very irrationally around one another,] Chewbacca replied diplomatically. [Until recently I assumed this was part of all human mating rituals, but young Skywalker tells me that is not so.]

Han grimaced at the mention of Luke. "That's another thing," Han said, feeling a pang of conscience at the thought of the younger man, who might be his one true friend on base. "Leia and Luke have feelings for one another."

Chewbacca roared with laughter again. [Young Skywalker used to have a crush on the Princess once, before he really knew her. He's still a little awed by her, but he'll get over that, too, in time. And Leia has never had those kind of feelings for him. She does not want someone who is in awe of her. She wants someone who challenges and understands her.]

"She told you this?" Han asked doubtfully, causing Chewbacca to chuckle.

[She did not have to. I've been eavesdropping, remember?]

"Eavesdropping on who?" Leia asked from the doorway, and Han jumped back, crashing into the Dejarik table.

"How have you learned all these words?" he asked in disbelief as it became obvious from her expression that she hadn't heard anything else.

[The same way you did,] Chewie roared, slapping Han on the back before turning to Leia. [I will be going now.]

"Oh Chewie there's no need to-" Leia began, but he had already exited the lounge. She turned to Han, smiling mischievously. "Should I be worried he's just around the corner eavesdropping?"

"Looks that way," he said, allowing himself to smile back at her and he felt a warmth in his stomach that he knew he couldn't attribute to the whisky they'd been drinking as she stepped closer to him. She tilted her head slightly, looking at him expectantly, and against his better judgement he stepped toward her, bracing himself to say something to her, though he wasn't exactly sure what it should be.

"Leia-" he began, hoping to pick up where they'd left off earlier, at the same moment that she began talking, her tone almost businesslike.

"Are you sober enough to discuss the mission?"

"Am _I-"_ he began incredulously, feeling as though she'd thrown ice water on him before shaking his head, feeling angry with her for reasons he couldn't fully articulate. "There's nothing to discuss about the mission. You won't be involved, end of story."

"I already agreed you're in charge," she snapped, her eyes flashing far less pleasantly than they had earlier. "I just wanted to discuss some possibilities with you."

"You mean you're following Mon Mothma's orders," he accused, not feeling as satisfied as he would have expected when she cringed, the barb evidently hitting close to home.

"I suppose so, yes," she replied after a moment. "But Mon and I want the same thing- and I think you and I want the same thing too." She hesitated, looking up at him with wide eyes, and he wasn't entirely sure she was still talking about the mission when she continued softly, almost reluctantly. "Don't we?"

"I don't know," he replied after a moment stepping closer to her and placing a hand on her upper arm. "Do we?" She shivered, and he briefly wondered if she was cold before realizing there might be a more likely explanation. "Leia," he said softly, tilting his head downwards so that he could meet her eyes more easily, "what do you want?"

She trembled slightly before pulling away, casting her eyes downward, away from his. "You know what I want," she said after a long moment, so quietly he almost couldn't hear her, and without pausing to overthink it he moved his hand upwards until it rested on her shoulder, pulling her slightly closer to him.

She did look up at him again, then, her eyes full of surprise and maybe something else as she leaned ever so slightly into the touch. "Tell me," he encouraged.

Her expression wavered, and she opened her mouth only to close it and shake her head. After another moment he felt his hand fall from her shoulder as she took a step back from him. "You know what I want," she repeated, her voice stronger as she averted her eyes again. "I want you to join the Alliance."

Han felt like someone had poured cold water on him for the second time as he threw up his hands, turning away from her only to almost immediately whirl back. "Well then, your royalness, we definitely do not want the same thing," he snapped. "But I asked what you want, not what High Command wants. Do we really always need to keep coming back to the Alliance?"

"I don't want anything else," she said, but her voice wasn't as strong as it had been, and she still wouldn't meet his eye.

"We both know that's a lie," he said, pointing a finger at her before shaking it almost childishly. "There's more to you than the Alliance. When you're finally ready to admit that, you know where to find me."

"Sure, if you're not long gone by then," she scoffed, pointing her own finger at him. "And I'm not the only one who doesn't share every little thing that she's feeling. What do you want, Han?" she demanded, her voice raising in pitch as her eyes did flash up to meet his. "What do _you_ want, really? To go back to running spice for some Hutts?"

"So what if I do?" he demanded, some distant corner of his mind wondering how, yet again, things had managed to go so wrong between them so quickly, and yet unable to stop himself. "What do you care?"

She opened her mouth, then shut it, and the expression on her face shifted from something like anger to resignation before he could blink. "And you think that would be just terrible, don't you?" she asked quietly, arching an eyebrow. "To care."

Han felt suddenly remorseful, but had no idea how to salvage the situation, and so he just swallowed hard, unsure who was to blame for their being at one another's throats again and not really knowing how they'd come back to this point. "That isn't-" he began before shaking his head, wondering if the situation really might be hopeless. After all, a few years ago she would have been right, and it was obvious that her opinion of him hadn't changed much in that time even if he had. Besides that, even in a best case scenario she was a princess and he was essentially no one, and that didn't take into account the multiple other problems with the situation, the most pressing of which was currently that she seemed determined to drive him out of his mind.

He dared a glance at Leia, and was gratified to see that she looked slightly distraught herself, but the instant she caught him staring at her she stood straighter, lifting her chin and somehow seeming to look down at him even though she was at least 30 centims shorter. He briefly wondered if she'd learned that trick as a royal or as part of the senate, then decided it didn't matter. He took a deep breath before meeting her eyes again, and as he did some emotion flickered across her face too quickly for him to place it. As he watched, she shook her head as though to clear it, and when she spoke again, her tone was calm and strangely indifferent, almost as though they were little more than polite acquaintances.

"Are you willing to listen to High Command's idea about the mission or not?" she inquired what could have been pleasantly were it not for the murderous look on her face.

"Will you leave me alone until I do?" he fired back, not interested in pretending to be nice, and she shot him a look that could have melted steel.

"No," she said firmly, not sounding sorry about that fact, and he grimaced before making an impatient gesture indicating that she should just get on with it. "You'll be happy to know that everyone agrees that you're in charge," she said, just the slightest edge of sarcasm coloring her voice. "If you agree, the basic plan would remain the same- you'll meet with your-" here she hesitated, seeming to grasp for the right word. "You'll meet with your former _associates_ ," she finally decided, "figure out who has the cargo we need, figure out how to get it, and figure out how to get out. How you do all of that is up to you and I won't interfere, though I'm happy to help if you think that would be best at any point."

Han frowned. "Then how do you fit into it?"

Her cheeks flushed, just slightly. "We'd be pretending to be in a relationship," she replied. "My job would be to listen and gather intelligence. I'd never be out of your sight, and I'd do whatever you told me to do." She tilted her head, seeming to think better of that last statement. "Within the parameters we previously discussed."

"I can listen and gather intelligence," he retorted, unsure as to whether he should feel offended at the implication that this might be something he was incapable of when it had in fact been something he planned to do anyway.

"Of course you can," she agreed at once, "but you have to admit it would be better for everyone if you could focus on the cargo, especially because it's important that you don't make anyone suspicious."

"And it's better if you're the one who makes them suspicious?" he asked doubtfully, wondering where she could possibly be going with this. She didn't raise to the bait, though, just arched an eyebrow and shot him a tentative smile.

"I'm not going to be the kind of girl who would make anyone suspicious."

He arched an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. "What kind of girl are you going to be?"

* * *

 _Hi everyone! As always I am so grateful to everyone who continues to take the time to read this- I think I've said this before but I know there is a lot of fic out there and it means a lot to me that you'd take the time for mine. I also truly appreciate and treasure all reviews, favorites, and follows and am so incredibly grateful to everyone who takes the time to do that as well._

 _I am sorry this update took a while. A lot is going on in my life right now and unfortunately I haven't been able to update as quickly as I'd like. From now on I'm going to try to post every other week if at all possible. Unfortunately my dad is in the hospital, and I just got a promotion at work which is in many ways a good thing but leaves me with a lot less time, especially given what's going on with my dad. Because of this I'm also still terribly behind on responding to reviews but I genuinely will try hard to catch up on those within the next few days- I am so incredibly thankful for all reviews and I truly hope that everyone knows that!_

 _Please also know that even if there is a bit of a lag in updates I am_ ABSOLUTELY AND COMPLETELY _committed to finishing this story. After this there will be around 6 more chapters and starting next chapter Han and Leia will finally be on Ord Mantell where the fun can truly begin:)_

 _Again, thank you so much for your support! You guys make this pair so fun to write for!_


	7. Chapter 7

Investigative Summary and Findings Regarding Public Nudity, Fire, and Partial Base Evacuation on Day 34, 3 ABY, hereafter referred to as the 'Sweetheart's Day Incident' for clarity. This document is SEALED and can only be opened on joint request of Leia Organa and Han Solo while both are alive. In the event of one or both of their deaths, Rule 146 will apply.

Investigative Process: The Investigative Committee has reviewed all video evidence of the incident, as well as interviewing Captain Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa, 56 other individuals who witnessed all or part of the incident, and 22 additional individuals who helped to put out the fire and to evacuate the north sector of the base.

Facts: On Day 20, 3 ABY, Leia Organa spoke at an Open Committee Meeting Regarding Social Life on Base and suggested that High Command declare a public holiday to boost morale. This idea was well received, and Wedge Antilles mentioned a Corellian holiday known as Sweethearts Day, which was only 14 days away. A resolution that this would become a holiday was passed.

In the 14 days before Sweethearts Day, Solo and Organa were frequently together. This can partly be explained by Solo joining the Sweetheart's Day Decorating Committee, which he now claims that Commander Luke Skywalker 'forced' him to do. Solo and Organa admit that on at least one occasion the topic of whether either one had a 'sweetheart' in mind for the holiday did arise. Both Solo and Organa claim that nothing was implied between them, but admit that each told the other that they did not, in fact, have a 'sweetheart'.

Two days before Sweetheart's Day, Solo left the base without explanation. This angered and upset Organa, as well as the rest of High Command, though as a contractor who was not currently engaged by the Alliance, Solo was technically free to come and go as he pleased. At some time during Solo's absence, Organa and Skywalker agreed to have dinner together in Organa's quarters on Sweetheart's Day.

At 18:12 hours on day 34, 3 ABY, or 'Sweetheart's Day' Captain Solo returned to base and was granted clearance to land. When Solo emerged from the Millennium Falcon he was carrying approximately 25 Alderaanian Lilies in Organa's favorite color. As these lilies are currently only available on two known planets, it can be inferred that it would have taken Solo almost the entire time he was gone to obtain them.

At approximately 18:55 hours Captain Solo approached Princess Leia's cabin, where she was having dinner with Skywalker. Solo was still carrying the Alderaanian Lilies with him at this time. Immediately prior to this, witnesses have testified that he looked for the Princess in both the mess hall and her office.

Unbelievably, both Organa and Solo have testified that the flowers were not for Organa. Even more unbelievably, Organa seems to believe this...

* * *

 _Aboard the Millennium Falcon_

 _3 ABY, Day 104, 10:23 hours_

Leia yawned as she stepped into the galley, cringing when she realized that she'd slept so late that she'd missed the caf. She stepped over to the machine to start a new batch, and smiled when she heard Chewie growl a greeting from behind her. Han and she were usually up early- in fact, on base, they usually had breakfast together for the simple reason that no one else was ever awake that early in the morning- but Chewie liked to sleep in, and she found herself thinking that it would be nice to eat breakfast with him for a change.

"Good morning, Chewie," she said cheerfully as the caf began brewing. "Have you eaten?"

[Yes,] he roared. [Han and I ate right after we landed on Ord Mantell.]

"We're _here_?" Leia questioned in disbelief, looking at the nearest chronometer to confirm the time. "How'd he pull that off?" she wondered out loud before deciding that, as so often happened where Han was concerned, she wasn't sure she actually wanted to know. "Where is he?" she amended, looking around as though he might appear even though she knew he was probably far from the galley.

[Han left the ship over an hour ago,] Chewie replied, oblivious to Leia's agitation as she blinked hard.

"He's- gone?" she asked, knowing she'd understood Chewie but hoping against hope that she hadn't.

[Yes,] the Wookie confirmed. [He said he had important business and that I should keep you on the ship.]

"Keep me on the ship," Leia repeated with deadly calm, again hoping that there might be some kind of misunderstanding, but as Chewie roared a confirmation she felt something inside her snap. "That- that vaping sithspawn!" she near shouted, hardly able to believe that after talking to her well into the early hours of the morning about their plan- _their_ plan!- Han would just leave without her. When she stopped to think about it, though, it actually made perfect sense- it was just the kind of underhanded thing Han might do to charm someone into compliance. Talk to them, earn their trust, then leave- it was practically page 1 in the Han Solo playbook. Somehow, though, over the past few years she'd come to believe that even if that was the kind of thing Han might _do_ , it wasn't the kind of thing he'd do _to_ _her._ While she wasn't exactly surprised to be wrong she was disappointed- and angrier than she could remember being in a long time, which, given her history with Han, was saying something.

"I- I'll kill him!" she ranted, not caring that no one was there to hear her but Chewie as she rushed toward the exit, scanning the general area for anything resembling appropriate footwear.

[I really wish that you would not,] she heard Chewie rumble from behind her. [Han is my only friend on base.]

She stopped looking for shoes and worrying about Han long enough to shoot the Wookie a mournful glance, ashamed that he might feel that way. "We're friends too, aren't we, Chewie?" she inquired, wondering what she could do to show him she valued his friendship.

[We will not be, if you kill Han,] Chewie retorted, and her brow furrowed as she tried to read his tone. Finally she offered an uncertain smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"How about if I just injured him a little?"

She expected Chewie to laugh, or possibly to banter back, but his face was solemn as he shook his head. [Princess, I think you have already injured him a little.]

Her brow furrowed. She'd spent a lot of time talking to Chewie over the past year, but she'd never heard him speak to anyone in such a serious tone. "I'm- not sure I know what you mean," she said after a moment, really not sure that she did. " _Me_ , injure _Han?_ _He's_ the one who left _me_ here while he accomplishes our mission without me."

Chewie hesitated, and Leia felt even more confused. The Wookie was almost always straightforward, at least in her experience with him, not weighing his words like so many other people seemed to around her. [Princess,] he said finally, [you must know that Han likes you.]

"I like Han too," Leia said at once, not sure how this fit into anything. "Or at least, I like him when he isn't being a stubborn nerfherder."

Chewie let out a moan and she frowned, not sure what he was trying to communicate as he shook his head almost sadly. "Chewie," she ventured after a long moment, "are you trying to tell me that Han-" she hesitated, feeling herself flush. "You can't mean that Han has _feelings_ for me?"

[Would you be so surprised if he did?] Chewie questioned in this new, strangely cryptic way. She hesitated, not sure she should answer, or how she could answer even if she wanted to. She didn't even always feel absolutely sure about what she felt for Han- it seemed impossible to try to talk rationally about what he might or might not feel for her.

"There are times when it wouldn't surprise me if he did," she finally said truthfully, diplomatically. "But whenever I start to think that something might happen it seems like I'm proven wrong." She flushed again. "I do know that there have been times when-" she cut off, shaking her head almost sadly. "But the truth is, Chewie, if Han had real feelings for me I'm sure he would have said something by now."

[Why would you think that?] Chewie asked, and she almost sighed at this new, mysterious side of the Wookie before realizing that it was a real question, as he both looked and sounded confused.

"If he had feelings for me, why _wouldn't_ he say something?" she questioned, feeling bewildered. "He's never hesitated to tell me anything else."

[Maybe he is afraid,] Chewie ventured.

" _Han_?" she asked, again feeling like she couldn't be understanding properly. "But Han's not afraid of anything. He's the bravest being I know."

Chewie roared something that might have been a laugh. [He would be happy to know that you think so, but Han is sometimes afraid, just like anyone else.]

Leia scoffed, almost unable to believe they were talking about the same person as she resumed her search for shoes. "Han is too arrogant to be afraid," she said, but she trailed off as she really thought about the man in question. It was true that Han never seemed scared of impossible odds, or a blaster in the face, or even of his own death, but she fleetingly remembered the tortured, helpless look he had given her, several months ago now, when they'd been unable to contact Luke for four days while he was on a mission and he was presumed dead- almost the same look he sometimes gave her when she was pleading with him to join the Alliance, before the inevitable screaming started. "Han isn't afraid of me," she amended after a long moment.

[Of you? No,] Chewie agreed, but he was still speaking in a strange, careful way that she wasn't used to.

"Of what then?" she asked just as she spotted her snow boots, kicked behind a pile of tools that Han evidently hadn't gotten around to putting away. "A-ha!" she cried triumphantly, tugging one on as she looked up at Chewie, waiting for him to answer.

Before he could, though, Leia heard the sound of the Falcon's ramp being lowered and she leapt forward toward the entrance as Han called out,

"Hey, Chewie- is Leia up yet?"

She was so eager to get to Han that she nearly tackled him as he rounded the corner. She thought about yelling at him but found she was more interested in what he'd found out than in getting into yet another bitter argument, and so she bit down any harsh words as she blurted, "Who did you talk to? What did you find out? Have you located the contraband?"

Han took a step away before looking at her as though she had lost her mind. She couldn't understand the look, but as she saw his eyes drift down to her feet, she realized that she must actually look crazy, standing there still wearing the same shirt of his that she'd worn yesterday, her hair down and unbrushed, one foot in a snow boot. She refused to be cowed, though, just stood straighter, lifting her chin slightly.

"What're you talking about?" Han finally asked, looking genuinely bewildered. "We just landed an hour ago, I haven't had time to find anything out. Besides, I thought we agreed we would approach my friends together."

Leia hesitated, her self righteous anger being replaced with something more like embarrassment. "I just thought-"

"I know what you thought," Han snapped, shaking his head in something that resembled disbelief. "Would it kill you just once to-"

She opened her mouth to cut him off but as she did she noticed a large bouquet of flowers in his right hand, which he was currently using to gesture at her in typical Han fashion, seeming oblivious to the fact that the flowers were there. Although she knew he'd be expecting her to reply to whatever he'd just said, instead she took a deep breath and forced herself to ask the question she'd been unable to ask the last time he'd showed up with flowers, the moment everything had started to go so wrong between them. "Are those for me?"

He cut off abruptly, then followed her gaze to the flowers. When he saw them he looked abashed and almost surprised, as though he had forgotten they were there- and she supposed that he probably had.

"Well, they're not for Chewie," he ventured a bit gruffly. At that Chewie growled something too low for Leia to understand, but Han looked chastised as he elaborated. "I mean- I just thought, if we're supposed to be- you know- together," he muttered slightly awkwardly, "it might be nice if people saw me buying you something."

Leia blinked, feeling slightly deflated at the perfectly logical explanation, but she smiled anyway as he held the bouquet out to her. "Good thinking," she said with a short nod, trying her best not to look at the flowers as she took them, knowing that they weren't really for her, but just for some role she was about to play. She was unable to ignore the bright flash of red and yellow out of the corner of her eye, though, and despite her best efforts she found herself gazing at the flowers longingly, in a way that she knew was ridiculous when the flowers were, in fact, hers. "Thank you," she said finally as the silence dragged on, pulling her eyes up away from the flowers to meet Han's inscrutable gaze. "They're very beautiful."

Han opened his mouth, looking as though he were going to say something, but Chewie elbowed him and he closed his mouth before saying, sounding uncertain, "Sure. I mean, you're welcome."

With that evidently being the end of that her gaze fell on the bag he was holding in his other hand. "Is that food?" she asked hopefully, already sick of ration bars, confused when he hesitated.

"Uh, no," he said finally, holding the bag out to her just a bit awkwardly. "I figured we'd probably eat lunch at the cantina together like-" he hesitated. "Like we would if we really were- well, together. It's clothing. For you, I mean. I had to guess at the size, but I think it should be okay."

"Clothing?" she repeated blankly, her excitement at the thought of real food forgotten as she took the bag from his outstretched hands more out of force of habit than anything else. "You got me-clothes?"

If she hadn't known better she would have sworn the slight pink tinge the flashed across his face was a blush, but then he smirked, raising an eyebrow almost wickedly. "Since you left base with exactly one standard issue snowsuit and one pair of boots I figured you might need some. If you were planning to go out there in nothing but my shirt, though, by all means- don't let me stop you."

She cocked her head, unable to stop a teasing smile as she pretended to contemplate. "I don't know. Going out there like this might send a certain message."

To her surprise he smiled back, looking almost like he might laugh, the unexpected awkwardness vanishing as quickly as it had come. "It certainly would."

She rolled her eyes, but didn't bother to hide her smile as it widened, just slightly. "I'll go change."

* * *

Leia shut the door to the crew quarters firmly behind her before turning to the bed and upending the bag of clothing onto it. She was almost afraid to look at what Han might think passed as suitable clothing for the role she was about to play, but as she gazed at the fabrics her eyes widened at the vibrant, almost luminous colors. Clothing wasn't something she allowed herself to think about, now- it was something from another time, quite literally from another world. For almost three years she'd worn only standard issue uniforms in various shades of white and tan. On the rare occasions that she'd been allowed to go on missions she'd worn whatever she'd been given, usually not even really looking at it as she put it on, thinking about it at all only if it were so tight or so loose that it might attract unwanted attention.

Now, though, dresses spilled onto the bed in the very jewel tones she used to love- luscious blues and purples and greens, fabrics light and pliable enough for her to be able to easily move in them, to feel them blowing around her in the breeze. She tried to think of anything at all that would have given Han any idea of the kind of clothing and colors she might like but could remember nothing.

Thinking of the mission she surveyed them with a critical eye before fingering the shortest, slinkiest one. "It'll do," she said to herself before peeling off Han's shirt and pulling the dress over her head.

* * *

Han did a double-take as Leia emerged from the crew quarters. He'd expected her to protest the clothing, maybe even refuse to put it on, and he'd prepared for an argument involving their cover story, his own admittedly questionable fashion sense, and her own firm sense of propriety. At best he'd expected her to emerge wearing the most modest dress in the bag, protesting and looking uncomfortable.

Instead, she was wearing the skimpiest dress he'd selected, casually sashaying down the _Falcon's_ corridor as though the dress had been painted on at birth. As she continued to move toward him, Han blinked hard, wondering if this might be some kind of hallucination. Leia still looked like Leia, in the broadest sense, but nearly everything about her seemed different, from the way that she casually, almost lazily swung her hips as she walked to the way her hair hung wild and free, the Jebwa flowers he'd given her earlier carelessly wound into the strands. Most strikingly, her face seemed different- even when Leia was happy she looked somehow serious, like she was analyzing the situation and older than her years, but right now she looked impossibly young and carefree. Her smile was bright and slightly vacant as she looked up at him with eyes that were almost unnaturally wide and completely unassuming.

"You look- good," he managed, trying only mostly successfully to avoid looking at either where the dress stopped, somewhere just above mid-thigh, or at where it began, plunging dangerously low over her collarbone.

"Thank you," she replied at once, her smile softening, just slightly. Han took a surprised step back, wondering how it was possible for someone who you knew so well to look and sound so totally different. Her voice was higher, lighter, and like her expression just the slightest bit vacant, utterly unassuming, and terribly young.

"Did you-ah-have any trouble with the clothes?" he asked her, and she shook her head in the negative, still smiling.

"Of course not," she simpered, still in that same unnatural tone. "They're lovely."

Despite himself Han shuddered. A Leia who didn't really look like Leia he could deal with, but a Leia who didn't _sound_ like Leia-

"Maybe we could save the role playing until we're actually outside," he snapped, and at the words she rolled her eyes, immediately and effortlessly snapping out of it. Not for the first time, it occurred to Han that she really was wasted at Hoth's base-

"Easy for you to say," she retorted, interrupting his thoughts. "I'm sure it's going to be incredibly difficult for you to be yourself."

Han knew that was his cue to make some cutting response, but with Leia looking and acting like herself again he was struck anew by how beautiful she looked in the dress. With some effort he shook his head, swallowing before meeting her eyes. "Don't forget the part about pretending to like you," he retorted sharply, and she snorted, rolling her eyes again.

"You don't have to pretend to like me, you just have to act like you want to sleep with me, which I doubt will be much of a stretch considering-" she began before stopping abruptly and flushing a bright red, suddenly unable to meet his eye. "I mean-" she near-sputtered, and Han would have greatly enjoyed her discomfort under almost any other circumstances, but her abruptly aborted comment seemed to have hit too close to home for both of them.

After a painfully awkward silence Leia lifted her chin, meeting his eye coldly. "As for the clothes, they're acceptable, but don't you think you could have been a little less conservative?"

Han blinked, unable to figure out what she was talking about for a long moment before remembering asking if she'd had any trouble with the clothing. Even though it already seemed like a distant memory he tried to refocus on the conversation. " _Less_ conservative?" he inquired after a long moment, really wondering if he might have misheard her.

She looked at him like he might be the crazy one before jerking her head slightly in the direction of the exit ramp. "Let's get this over with."

Han hesitated, then offered her his arm. To his surprise she _didn't_ hesitate, instead taking it easily, naturally. He was surprised by how right it felt even as he saw her shaking her head in the negative out of the corner of his eye.

"Too formal," she pronounced, dropping her hand from his arm, and at the loss of contact Han felt slightly, bizarrely unhappy, though he didn't allow himself to dwell on the emotion. The next thing he knew Leia had taken his hand in hers. After a moment she nodded and they started to walk toward the exit, but within a few meters she had stopped, once more shaking her head. "It's not right either," she mused. "It's too-" she hesitated before wrinkling her nose. "Sweet," she concluded, making it sound like a dirty word as she tilted her head to the side, clearly thinking.

"So, what- you think we shouldn't touch?" Han questioned, feeling some relief at the prospect, but she shook her head in the negative immediately, definitely, still looking thoughtful.

"Try this," she said after another long moment, taking his arm and throwing it over her shoulders. She hesitated for a second before slipping her own arm around his waist and leaning ever-so-slightly into him. "Pull me closer, like you actually want me there," she directed. "And try to look happy and a little stupid, like you just had the best sex of your life."

As they exited into the sunlight, Han contemplated with some amusement that she'd never believe how easy it was to obey.

* * *

 _Hi! I am sorry it took so terribly long to post this chapter and we haven't even gotten to the real Ord Mantell action, but what I said last time remains true- I am absolutely committed to finishing the story, and I am absolutely sure where the story is going. I'm sure I've lost some of my readership but I can't blame them- 5 months is a loooong time to wait. What comes immediately after this is also written but I felt that for optimal flow I had to stop this here- it was already nearing 5000 words and there was definitely not another plausible nearby endpoint what with all the flirting and espionage that's about to go down. I wanted to get at least some of it in here but the Leia/Chewie conversation will be important later so I couldn't cut it out/down. I'll try to make the next chapters worth the wait._

 _I do think I can absolutely promise the next chapter will be up soon, or at least sooner :D for what that's worth at this point. A lot has been going on in my life personally and I guess I don't mind saying here that Carrie Fisher's death also threw me for a loop- I actually had 95% of what I'm posting today written around Christmastime and when that news came for whatever reason it was really hard to come back to this and essentially be writing fluff. Sure, I mean, fluff with a bit of angst but at heart this is old school Han/Leia fluff._

 _At this point to be 100% honest I'm also not absolutely sure if I had responded to all reviews from the last chapter, but I continue to deeply and truly appreciate reviews, follows, and favorites. I'll be responding promptly to anything new._

 _Thank you to anyone who's still around, you guys are the greatest!_


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